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creamy rigatoni with veggies & italian sausage

(1 RATING)
141 Pinches 10 Photos
cookinginillinois avatar
Sauk Village, IL
Updated on Jan 28, 2014

This is a dish my husband & I made together as I continue to recover from Pneumonia. He suggested we cook together, so I became his Sous Chef in chopping everything we needed to create this dish. I knew in my head what I wanted to do, but didn't know if it would turn out okay or not, I wanted lots of vegetables in the dish, a sort of meal in one so to speak. I wanted to add the sausage links cut up but knew my husband would appreciate having the sausage links on a bun. As a compromise I cut up 3 of the links & left the other 5 whole, which made both of us happy. The taste was great.

prep time 20 Min
cook time 1 Hr 5 Min
method Stove Top
yield makes 4-6 or more hearty servings depending on portion size

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rigatoni pasta ( or pasta of choice)
  • 8 ounces canned sliced mushrooms( drained)
  • 1 pint grape tomatoes
  • 1 large red bell pepper (large chop)
  • 1 large green bell pepper (large chop)
  • 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
  • 1 bunch green onions chopped (reserve about 1/3 cup for garnish)
  • 5 stalks celery, chopped
  • 8 ounces softened cream cheese (cubed) regular or low fat
  • 1 1/4 cups grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (or use half & half) more if you like more creamy
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
  • - salt & pepper to taste if desired
  • 4-5 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 pounds lean italian sausage links (about 2 pounds)

How To Make creamy rigatoni with veggies & italian sausage

  • Step 1
    CHOP FRESH VEGGIES AND ADD TO LARGE MEASURING CUP. Should have close to 8 cups of veggies when done. If you were to add the drained sliced mushrooms.
  • Step 2
    Add the sausage links to a large skillet and brown on all sides. add a little olive or canola oil if needed. When browned, then pour in about 2 cups of water or chicken or beef broth, cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer on low for about 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Step 3
    Cook pasta Al Dente about 2-3 minutes under recommended time listed on package, then rinse and set aside, add 2 to 3 pats of butter or a drizzle of olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together. Stir and set aside till needed.
  • Step 4
    Now to a large pot add the 1/2 stick butter and oil, over medium high heat, then add the chopped veggies & minced garlic when hot, reserving the grape tomatoes till later, and cook until veggies are transparent and tender about 7 to 8 minutes.
  • Step 5
    Now add the pasta, grape tomatoes, drained sliced mushrooms & Italian seasoning in with the veggies.
  • Step 6
    Stir in the cubed cream cheese, and carefully stir to mix together as cream cheese begins to melt.
  • Step 7
    Add the heavy whipping cream, Parmesan cheese and stir until mixture is mixed together & creamy. The residual heat from the pasta will cook the tomatoes just until heated through. Remove from heat. Taste and add salt & pepper if desired.
  • Step 8
    Add pasta to a large serving platter, and top with whole sausage links, or cut links on the diagonal and add to pasta. Garnish with reserved Chopped green onions if desired. Add additional grated parmesan if desired. serve and enjoy.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!

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