Okay, this creamy rigatoni with sausage and spinach dish was a total HIT with my followers on instagram so I wanted to make sure I got in on the blog for you to replicate! It takes under 30 minutes to prepare and the entire family will enjoy it, even your picky toddlers!
Here is what you need :
- 1 box of rigatoni (we like Barilla)
- 1 jar of Rao’s Marinara Sauce (the only jarred tomato sauce I have found and like)
- 28 ounce can of Hunts whole peeled tomatoes (or San Marzano but I find Hunts to be just as good)
- 1 pack of cream cheese (you’ll use 3 ounces of it)
- Sweet italian sausage – 6 links (or 1 lb. ground sweet italian sausage from the butcher)
- 2 overflowing handfuls of fresh spinach
Here is what you do:
- Start boiling a pot of lightly salted water (I use about a tablespoon) for your pasta. You’ll use the whole box.
- Take the sausage out of the casing and cook on medium heat until it’s brown and crumbly. I like to use a dutch oven for this. Remove the cooked sausage and place aside.
- Combine 1/2 jar of Rao’s sauce with 1 whole can of whole peeled tomatoes. You’re going to need to blend these together so you can do it beforehand in a blender or by using a hand blender in the dutch oven. I do this because I think the Rao’s on it’s own has too much flavor, especially when you’re using it in a sauce with sausage which is already so full of flavor.
- Cook this on medium heat until it’s warm, and add 3 ounces of cream cheese cubed up into about 3 pieces bit so it melts easier. Now you have a cream sauce!
- Add your sausage back to the pot and stir it around until it’s evenly distributed.
- Add your spinach and you’ll see it wilting down. You can add as much or as little as you want here.
- Once your pasta is cooked to al dente (follow box instructions for timing), drain from the water and put it all in your pot with the sauce.
- Let it all simmer together for about 2 minutes and then serve!!
Top with freshly grated pecorino Romano for a real treat
