Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Rigatoni with Linguica Sausage

This Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Rigatoni with Linguica Sausage is the perfect fall comfort food. The sweet tomatoes, creamy sauce, smokey sausage, and fresh pasta pair so well together.

What type of pasta should I use?

I love using rigatoni, but you could use any pasta you have on hand, preferably short. I love cooking with Santa Cruz Pasta Factory's  fresh pastas. They are a family-owned gourmet pasta company that serve delicious and fresh pastas and sauces. If you can't find their pasta at your local grocery store, you can order online here.

What type of sausage should I use?

I love using linguica sausage for this dish! Linguica offers so much flavor and a little smokiness to this pasta dish. I just slice the sausage on a bias and sear it on both sides to get it a little crispy. I particurarly love Neto's Sausage's linguica. Neto's Sausage is also a family-owned company and you can order online here.

How can I prepare this creamy sun-dried tomato rigatoni ahead?

I always recommend preparing dishes as much as you can before guests arrive when hosting. On the day of serving, you can go through all the cooking steps through adding the cream to the sauce, then turning off the heat. Allow the sausage and sauce to come to room temperature before storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To resume cooking, reheat the sauce in the large skillet and pick back up with cooking the pasta and tossing in the rest of the ingredients into the sauce.

What should I serve with the rigatoni?

This is a hearty dish that doesn't need much else with it. It would be delicious with a glass of red wine and Caesar Salad.

If you make this Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Rigatoni with Linguica Sausage, I'd love to know what you think in the comments below!

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Rigatoni with Linguica Sausage

Easy, creamy pasta with smokey linguica, sweet sun-dried tomatoes, savory mushrooms, and spinach. The perfect pasta dish for fall!

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: pasta, stovetop

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 6 people

Author: Caitlin from CC's Table

Ingredients

• 10 oz linguica sausage, such as Neto's sausage sliced on a bias
• 2 tablespoon olive oil divided
• 1 cup diced yellow onion
• Kosher salt
• 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms sliced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 lb rigatoni, such as Santa Cruz Pasta Factory
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes patted dry if in liquid
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese plus more for topping, if desired
• freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

• Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add the linguica and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is slightly crispy on each side, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. Degrease the pan if excess grease remains.
• Add 1 tbsp. olive oil, the onions, and a pinch of salt to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the pan with another pinch of salt and tbsp. of olive oil. Saute the mushrooms until slightly softened, about 5 more minutes.
• Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and use your spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the pan. Add the cream and bring to a simmer. Allow the cream to simmer until slightly thickened and coats the back of your spoon, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water with a big pinch of salt to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water then drain the pasta.
• To the cream sauce, stir in the spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan. Stir until the spinach is just slightly wilted. Stir in the cooked pasta adding a tablespoon of reserved pasta water at a time until you reach desired consistency. Taste adding more salt and pepper if desired. Serve immediately, with more parmesan on top, if desired.

Notes

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