Kale and Sausage Rigatoni

This Kale and Sausage Rigatoni Recipe brings together all the things we love about Italian comfort food, with its rich, creamy sauce, savory sausage, and hearty greens. The only thing we love more than the flavor is that you’ll spend less than 30 minutes preparing it, making it perfect for a busy weeknight.

While you could use other noodles for this pasta dish, rigatoni has a special spot in our food-loving hearts. Just like with our Spicy Rigatoni Recipe and Rigatoni with Romesco Sauce, the pasta makes all the difference. The thick, tubular shape catches all the creamy, cheesy tomato sauce, so every bite is a little explosion of comfort and flavor.

How to Make Our Kale and Sausage Rigatoni Recipe

Ingredients

Process

1. Place a large pot, filled with water, over high heat and bring to a boil. Add a small handful of salt followed by the pasta. Bring to a boil and stir. Boil pasta for 7 to 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta into a colander. Set aside.
2. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil. Once hot, add sausage. Using a wooden spoon, break sausage apart until evenly crumbled and browned.

3. Transfer sausage to a plate and return skillet to stove.
4. Add remaining oil. Once hot, add shallot and fennel (if using) and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Stir in garlic and continue to sauté for 30 seconds.
6. Add tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.

7. Deglaze the skillet with the wine or stock, scraping up the bits on the bottom with a wooden spoon. Continue to cook until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
8. Stir in cream and reduce heat to medium-low. Season with salt and pepper and stir. Simmer sauce until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes.

9. Gently stir in Parmesan until fully incorporated and sauce is smooth and creamy.
10. Stir sausage back into skillet, along with kale and pepper flakes and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.

11. Add pasta to skillet and gently stir into sauce. Season with salt and pepper and serve with more grated Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes.

Why We Love This Rigatoni Recipe

• It’s quick and easy: This whole dish comes together in under 30 minutes, and once you’ve boiled your pasta, the rest takes just one skillet, making clean up just as quick and easy.
• It’s incredibly adaptable: While this recipe is tested and approved with the ingredients we’ve used, you can easily swap out several options to make it your own. Make it spicy with a spicy Italian sausage, or even vegetarian by swapping the sausage for a plant-based meat or white beans. Regular kale and even spinach can be used in place of the Tuscan kale, and if you don’t like or can’t find fennel, swap it for bell peppers, leeks, or a diced onion.
• It’s a complete meal in one: With pasta, protein, and veggies made in just one dish, you don’t have to stress about what sides you’ll serve it with (although we do have several at the bottom just in case!).

Prepping Our Rigatoni Recipe Ahead of Time

Sure, this recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes, but we all know that some nights, even 30 minutes isn’t fast enough. Here are some ways to make this dinner come together even faster.

• Prep the veggies ahead of time: Dice the shallot, fennel, and garlic up to a few days beforehand and store in the refrigerator. And since the fennel and shallot are getting tossed in together, go ahead and store them together!
• Prepare the pasta ahead: Making the pasta the night before can help make this a real one-dish meal. Just prepare the pasta until Al dente, stir in a drizzle of olive oil, cool, and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days. Make sure to save a small dish of pasta water to add to the sauce!
• Brown and crumble the sausage: Cook and crumble the Italian sausage up to two days ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator. While doing this step ahead will result in a small reduction in flavor (deglazing the browned bits adds a good amount of complexity), it will save several minutes on the night of.

Or, to meal prep the entire dish, but still feel like you’re eating a freshly cooked meal:

• Make this recipe up to step 9. Stir in the sausage, but then let the dish cool. Cover or place in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
• Place the contents back into a pan and on the stove. Slowly reheat over low, stirring so everything warms evenly. Add a splash more chicken broth if needed. Then proceed with the recipe, adding the kale, parmesan, and pasta.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

With a little extra liquid added, this rigatoni is just as good the next day, making it a good option for meal prep or enjoying leftovers.

• To store leftovers: Transfer any leftover rigatoni to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-4 days. The pasta will continue to absorb the sauce as it sits, so the consistency will be a bit thicker when you reheat it, but you can easily thin it out by stirring in a bit more cream or chicken broth. Since this is a cream-based pasta, its texture may turn a bit curdled or gritty if frozen, so we don’t recommend this method of storage.
• To reheat on the stovetop (our preferred method): Place the leftover pasta in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of cream, milk, or chicken broth (2-3 tablespoons at a time) to loosen the sauce and bring it back to a creamy consistency. Stir the pasta occasionally as it warms through, for about 5 to 7 minutes.
• To reheat in the microwave: Transfer a portion to a microwave-safe bowl and add a tablespoon or two of cream or milk. Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel or microwave-safe cover, then microwave for 45-60 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until heated through.

What to Serve with Our Kale and Sausage Rigatoni

Whether you’re enjoying this dish for a quick weeknight meal or a weekend dinner, these easy sides are always a hit:

• Caesar Salad
• Cheesy Herb Beer Bread
• Simple Panzaella Salad
• Greek Salad
• Roasted Green Beans
• Broccoli Crunch Salad
• Garlic Bread
• Bruschetta

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