Best Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni Recipe for Pasta Lovers

Crafting an irresistible garlic sausage alfredo rigatoni feels like uncovering a culinary secret passed through generations.

Nonna’s kitchen whispers tales of comfort and warmth with every twirl of pasta.

Rich, creamy sauce mingles with savory sausage, creating a symphony of flavors that dance across your palate.

Robust ingredients promise a meal that transforms an ordinary evening into something extraordinary.

Hearty rigatoni captures the decadent sauce in its ridged embrace, ensuring each bite delivers maximum deliciousness.

Small touches of fresh herbs and a sprinkle of parmesan will elevate this dish from simple to spectacular.

Prepare to fall in love with a recipe that speaks directly to your soul’s hunger.

What Makes Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni So Satisfying

• Boost Flavor Complexity: Combine multiple proteins like sausage and ground pork for a rich, layered taste profile that elevates the classic pasta experience.
• Master Creamy Sauce Technique: Learn to create a luxurious cream sauce that perfectly coats pasta, blending herbs, cheese, and meat into a restaurant-quality dish.
• Quick Comfort Meal Solution: Prepare a hearty, satisfying dinner that comes together in just a few simple steps, perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute gatherings.
• One-Pan Wonder: Minimize cleanup with a streamlined cooking method that uses the same skillet for browning meat and creating the creamy sauce, making cooking and washing up a breeze.

Everything In Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni

• Rigatoni: A robust tube-shaped pasta that holds sauce perfectly and provides a hearty texture to the dish.

• Garlic Sausage: Adds a rich, savory flavor with aromatic garlic notes to the pasta sauce.
• Ground Pork: Provides a tender and flavorful meat base that enhances the overall richness of the dish.

• Heavy Cream: Creates a luxurious and smooth sauce that coats the pasta beautifully.
• Butter: Adds richness and helps create a silky texture in the sauce.
• Parmesan Cheese: Delivers a sharp, nutty flavor and helps thicken the sauce.
• Mozzarella Cheese: Contributes a creamy, melty element to the pasta dish.

• Garlic Cloves: Infuses the sauce with a deep, pungent flavor.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential seasonings that enhance the overall taste of the dish.
• Dried Parsley: Provides a subtle herbal background note.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Adds a gentle heat and slight spiciness to the sauce.

• Olive Oil: Used for sautéing and browning the meats.
• Pasta Water: Helps create a smooth and consistent sauce texture.

Easy Steps For Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni

Step 1: Boil Water and Prepare Pasta

Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a rolling boil. Drop rigatoni into boiling water and cook until al dente, typically 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

Step 2: Cook Meat Mixture

• Garlic sausage (sliced into thin rounds)
• Ground pork (crumbled into small pieces)

Brown the meat until fully cooked and slightly crispy, about 6-8 minutes.

Step 3: Create Flavor Base

Reduce skillet heat to medium-low. Add butter and let it melt completely. Mince garlic cloves and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Step 4: Develop Cream Sauce

• Salt
• Black pepper
• Dried parsley
• Red pepper flakes

Mix thoroughly to incorporate all ingredients.

Step 5: Combine Pasta and Sauce

Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water. Return rigatoni to the pot. Pour cream sauce with meat over pasta, adding reserved pasta water to help create a smooth consistency.

Step 6: Finish and Melt Cheese

• Parmesan cheese
• Mozzarella cheese

Stir until fully melted and sauce becomes creamy. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to allow flavors to meld and sauce to thicken slightly.

Step 7: Serve and Garnish

Plate the pasta hot, optionally sprinkling additional parmesan cheese on top for extra flavor.

Smart Tips For Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni Success

• Prevent Pasta Sticking: Stir rigatoni occasionally during boiling and use ample water to keep noodles from clumping together.
• Control Garlic Intensity: Adjust minced garlic quantity based on personal preference, adding more or less for desired flavor strength.
• Achieve Perfect Meat Browning: Cook sausage and ground pork over medium-high heat until edges turn crispy, developing deep, rich flavor notes.
• Create Smooth Sauce Consistency: Add reserved pasta water gradually to help bind sauce ingredients and prevent separation, ensuring creamy texture.
• Enhance Cheese Melting: Fold parmesan and mozzarella gradually, stirring continuously to promote even melting and prevent clumping.

Fun Ideas For Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni

• Vegetarian Pasta Delight: Replace sausage and ground pork with plant-based crumbles or roasted mushrooms for a hearty vegetarian version that maintains rich flavor profiles.
• Low-Carb Cauliflower Alternative: Swap rigatoni with spiralized cauliflower or zucchini noodles to create a lighter, gluten-free pasta experience with reduced carbohydrate content.
• Spicy Mediterranean Remix: Incorporate chorizo instead of garlic sausage, add sun-dried tomatoes, and use feta cheese for a tangy Mediterranean-inspired variation with increased heat.
• Dairy-Free Cream Option: Substitute heavy cream with coconut milk and use nutritional yeast instead of parmesan and mozzarella to create a creamy, lactose-free pasta dish with similar richness.

Sides That Pair With Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni

• Pair with Crisp White Wine: Select a chardonnay or pinot grigio to cut through the rich, creamy sauce and complement the sausage's savory notes.
• Match with Fresh Green Salad: Create a light arugula salad with lemon vinaigrette to balance the heavy pasta dish and provide a refreshing contrast.
• Serve with Crusty Garlic Bread: Use toasted sourdough or Italian bread to soak up the delicious cream sauce and add textural variety to the meal.
• Complement with Roasted Vegetables: Prepare simple roasted broccoli or asparagus with olive oil and sea salt to introduce a healthy vegetable element that enhances the protein-rich pasta.

Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni Storage Made Simple

• Store leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours of cooking, keeping them fresh for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
• Transfer cooled pasta to freezer-safe containers or zip-lock bags, removing excess air to prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 2 months.
• Place pasta in a microwave-safe dish, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons of water to prevent drying, and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until thoroughly warmed.
• Warm pasta in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of cream or water to restore moisture and prevent sticking. Stir gently until heated evenly and sauce regains creamy consistency.

Questions About Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni Answered

• Is this dish spicy?

The red pepper flakes add a mild heat, but you can adjust or omit them for a less spicy version.

• Can I use different pasta shapes?

Absolutely! Penne or ziti work great as alternatives to rigatoni.

• What type of pork works best?

Ground pork and garlic sausage are ideal, but you can substitute with Italian sausage or ground Italian-seasoned meat.

• How do I prevent the sauce from separating?

Keep the heat low when adding cream and cheese, and stir continuously to create a smooth, creamy consistency.

Garlic Sausage Alfredo Rigatoni Recipe

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4.8 from 35 reviews

• Total Time: 35 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x

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Description

Creamy garlic sausage alfredo rigatoni brings Italian comfort straight to your dinner table with its rich, cheesy sauce and hearty pasta. Each forkful delivers a luxurious blend of savory sausage and silky alfredo that promises pure culinary satisfaction.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Pasta:

• 1 lb rigatoni pasta
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Sausage and Meat:

• 1 lb garlic sausage
• 0.5 lb ground pork

Dairy and Sauce:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup parmesan cheese
• 0.5 cup mozzarella cheese
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp butter

Seasonings:

• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes

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Instructions

1. Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a rolling boil over high heat for the rigatoni.
2. While water heats, slice garlic sausage into thin rounds and crumble ground pork into small pieces.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then brown sausage and ground pork until fully cooked and slightly crispy, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Drop rigatoni into boiling water and cook until al dente, typically 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. Mince garlic cloves finely and set aside.
6. In the same skillet with cooked meat, reduce heat to medium-low and add butter, allowing it to melt completely.
7. Stir in minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
8. Pour heavy cream into the skillet, stirring continuously to combine with meat and garlic.
9. Sprinkle in salt, black pepper, dried parsley, and red pepper flakes, mixing thoroughly.
10. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water, and return rigatoni to the pot.
11. Pour cream sauce with meat over pasta, adding reserved pasta water to help create a smooth consistency.
12. Gradually fold in parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, stirring until fully melted and sauce becomes creamy.
13. Let sit for 2-3 minutes to allow flavors to meld and sauce to thicken slightly.
14. Serve hot, garnishing with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

• Toast the sausage and ground pork at high heat to develop deep caramelized flavor and crispy texture.
• Reserve pasta water helps create silky, emulsified sauce that clings perfectly to rigatoni’s ridges.
• Use freshly grated parmesan for superior melting and richer cheese flavor compared to pre-packaged options.
• Customize heat levels by adjusting red pepper flakes, making dish friendly for spice-sensitive palates.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Category: Lunch, Dinner
• Method: Boiling
• Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 6
• Calories: 859
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 917 mg
• Fat: 56 g
• Saturated Fat: 22 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 28 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Carbohydrates: 59 g
• Fiber: 3 g
• Protein: 33 g
• Cholesterol: 145 mg