This blog post was originally published on February 24th, 2020.

As an entrepreneur and a mom of three, meal prepping can be challenging at times. One-pot recipes are game chargers for me not only because they make cooking easy but also clean up – it’s a win-win in my eyes. This One-Pot Creamy Sausage and Red Bell Pepper Rigatoni is so delicious and a perfect family-friendly meal. It is the warm comfort food we all need in our lives, especially in the winter!

Nothing a busy parent loves more than a delicious one-pot pasta recipe! We at Team HEA are obsessed with easy weeknight meals, and after testing out a few, took elements from each and created this yummy, creamy one-pot sausage and pepper rigatoni.  It is hearty and filling, but so simple that it’ll feel like you barely had to lift a finger.  I like to double it and create leftovers that I can either freeze or feed the kids for lunch the days after.

As I wait on baby boy, I find myself craving that cozy nesting energy with comfort foods to match.  I also have been ravenous, which I feel like is this little baby trying to pack on the pounds before he makes his grand entrance! Hahaha.  It’s so surreal that he’ll be meeting us so soon.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family has!

Ingredients…

(Serves 4)

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1lb uncooked spicy Italian sausage, crumbled (you can also use sweet sausage if you prefer)
• 1 15oz. can tomato sauce
• 4oz. goat cheese, (or ½ cup half & half)
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 8oz. rigatoni
• ½ cup Parmigiano Reggiano
• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more for garnish
• 3 cups water
• a pinch of red chili flakes
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions…

For this recipe, you will need a large sauté pan with a lid. (This one from Greenpan is my favorite!) If you don’t have a sauté pan, you might be able to use a dutch oven, but I haven’t personally tested it this way. If anyone decides to try this with a dutch oven, let me know how it turns out and any adjustments you made in the comments below!

1. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame and add the chopped red peppers and onions, stirring frequently for 8-10 minutes, or until they are softened and the onions are translucent.
2. Add the minced garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.
3. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks, until the sausage is brown, about another 8-10 minutes. The better you crumble the sausage, the faster and more evenly the sausage will cook, so putting in the elbow grease here will pay off!
4. Once the meat is well cooked through and there is no pink left, add the white wine and stir until the wine is mostly evaporated, lifting up anything at the bottom of the pan with your spatula.
5. Add the marinara sauce, 3 cups of water, and the rigatoni to the pan and stir to combine.
6. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the flame to medium-low and cover with a lid.
7. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure the pasta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly, you can add another 1/2 cup of water to loosen it up and reduce the flame to low. Around the 12 minute mark, test the pasta to make sure it’s not overcooking or getting soggy.
8. Once the pasta is cooked al dente, keep the pan on the flame but remove the lid. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the chopped basil, and the goat cheese to the mixture, 1 oz at a time, until it’s as creamy as you’d like it to be. (For reference, I used 4oz.) If you’re using half & half instead of goat cheese, add that instead. Stir to combine.
9. Continue to heat the mixture on medium-low for another 2 minutes, stirring periodically, then remove the pan from the flame, add some salt and pepper for taste, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
10. Serve with some additional basil on top, and enjoy!

One-Pot Creamy Sausage and Red Bell Pepper Rigatoni

This recipe is hearty and filling, but so simple that it’ll feel like you barely had to lift a finger.  I like to double it and create leftovers that I can either freeze or feed the kids for lunch the days after.  

4.22 from 19 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Resting Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 781 kcal

Equipment

• A large sauté pan with lid
• Spatula

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb uncooked spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
• 16 oz tomato sauce
• 4oz log goat cheese, OR 8 tbsp half & half
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 8 oz rigatoni
• ½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
• ½ cup fresh basil, chopped, and more for garnish
• 3 cups water
• 1 pinch red chili flakes
• salt, to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

• In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over a medium-high flame and add the chopped red peppers and onions, stirring frequently for 8-10 minutes, or until they are softened and the onions are translucent.
• Add the minced garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, and stir to combine.
• Add the sausage into the pan, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks, until the sausage is brown, about another 8-10 minutes. The better you crumble the sausage, the faster and more evenly the sausage will cook, so putting in the elbow grease here will pay off!
• Once the meat is well cooked through and there is no pink left, add the white wine and stir until the wine is mostly evaporated, lifting up anything at the bottom of the pan with your spatula. 
• Add the marinara sauce, 3 cups of water, and the rigatoni to the pan and stir to combine.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the flame to medium-low and cover with a lid.
• Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to make sure the pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. If the liquid is evaporating too quickly, you can add another 1/2 cup of water to loosen it up and reduce the flame to low. Around the 12 minute mark, test the pasta to make sure it's not overcooking or getting soggy. 
• Once the pasta is cooked al dente, keep the pan on the flame but remove the lid. Add the Parmigiano-Reggiano, the chopped basil, and the goat cheese to the mixture, 1 oz at a time, until it's as creamy as you'd like it to be. (For reference, I used 4oz.) If you're using half & half instead of goat cheese, add that instead. Stir to combine.
• Continue to heat the mixture on medium-low for another 2 minutes, stirring periodically, then remove the pan from the flame, add some salt and pepper for taste, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
• Serve with some additional basil on top, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

One-Pot Creamy Sausage and Red Bell Pepper Rigatoni

Amount Per Serving (8 oz)

Calories 781 Calories from Fat 423

% Daily Value*

Fat 47g72%

Saturated Fat 16g100%

Cholesterol 95mg32%

Sodium 1644mg71%

Potassium 935mg27%

Carbohydrates 55g18%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 31g62%

Vitamin A 1678IU34%

Vitamin C 52mg63%

Calcium 217mg22%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword Dairy Free, easy, One-Pot, Pasta

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Photographs by Julia Dags | Happily Eva After, Inc. © 2020 All Rights Reserved