One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta

One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta needs to be on your winter menu. The rigatoni noodles cook right in the spicy Italian sausage sauce that has both crushed tomatoes and basil pesto. One Pot Pasta is your solution to an easy and comforting dinner.

What You'll Need for this One Pot Pasta:

• Spicy Italian Sausage - If you don't like spicy, go ahead and use mild Italian sausage. I used pork, but you could sub chicken sausage if you prefer.
• Onion and Garlic - A must!
• Canned Crushed Tomatoes - Two big 28oz cans.
• Water - This is needed for more liquid for the pasta to be cooked in the sauce.
• Pesto - We not only stir some of the pesto into the sauce, but we also drizzle some on top with the shredded cheese before baking.
• Rigatoni Pasta - You can substitute penne or farfalle as well.
• Shredded Kale - Kale holds its shape better than spinach so the sauce has a little extra texture, but trust me, even kale skeptics won't care that it's there.
• Shredded Mozzarella Cheese - Sprinkle this on top before baking! You can substitute a different melting cheese.
• Italian Seasoning 
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - Optional, for extra heat.

One Pot Pasta is such a game changing technique! By cooking the pasta noodles in the sauce itself not only do we save on cleanup but we're also left with a more flavorful pasta. Win-win! After the pasta cooks in the sauce to just al dente, sprinkle some mozzarella cheese on top and pop it into the oven. A flavorful, comforting, cheesy, spicy baked pasta. This One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta is easy enough to make on a weeknight but rich and flavorful enough to serve to company or for date night.

One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta

Print Recipe

You need to make this One Pot Spicy Sausage Pasta. The rigatoni noodles cook right in the spicy Italian sausage sauce that has both crushed tomatoes and basil pesto. One Pot Pasta is your solution to an easy and comforting dinner. Recipe at KathleensCravings.com

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings
• Category: Main Dish
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion (diced)
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for extra heat)
• 2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups water
• ¾ cup pesto (divided)
• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 2-3 cups shredded kale
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt and pepper
• fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a very large pot, oven safe is preferred, like a large dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add the sausage, crumble and cook until browned.
3. Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for about 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant. Add the crushed tomatoes, water, kale, ½ cup of the pesto, and the pasta. Add a heavy pinch of salt and pepper to taste. Stir together.
4. Bring to a simmer/gentle boil (you may need to increase the heat to medium-high). Stir occasionally (carefully!) to keep the pasta from sticking to the bottom. Cook for 8-10 minutes until pasta is just al dente.
5. Remove from heat. If you're not using an oven safe pot, transfer to a baking dish. Drizzle remaining ¼ cup of pesto on top of the pasta and top with the shredded cheese.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to brown. Sprinkle with fresh, chopped parsley.
7. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

• Spicy Italian Sausage - If you don't like spicy, go ahead and use mild Italian sausage. I used pork, but you could sub chicken sausage if you prefer.
• Rigatoni Pasta - You can substitute penne or farfalle as well.
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes - Optional, for extra heat.