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Sausage Broccoli Rigatoni is one of those easy weeknight pastas we always come back to, with just a few ingredients, big flavor, and ready in 30 minutes! Italian sausage links are simmered, sliced, then browned with garlic and a simple cream sauce, while the rigatoni and broccoli cook together in the same pot. Toss it all with Parmesan, and you have a creamy, hearty, veggie-packed dinner everyone will love!
- An Easy Weeknight Pasta! - A balanced meal with protein, veggies and starch all in one family-friendly dish!
- Customizable - Use Italian sausage links or bulk sausage, or even substitute chicken! The broccoli can be swapped or added to with red bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, peas or spinach. And the rigatoni can be any pasta shape you like! Endless possibilities with this simple cream sauce!
- Love Pasta Night? Try some of our favorites like this Rigatoni Pasta Bake with Ricotta and Meat Sauce or this Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta!
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Ingredients & Substitutions
A clean and minimal ingredient list with fresh veggies, and heavy cream for the most delicious sauce!
- Rigatoni Pasta - One of our favorites, we love it in this Spicy Rigatoni with Meat Sauce too! It's a sturdy short pasta that holds up to the big chunks of sausage and broccoli.
- Broccoli - Lots of fresh broccoli gets quickly blanched right in with the boiling pasta so it's al dente and never mushy!
- Italian Sausage - Use your favorite brand, mild or hot, and you could also use bulk Italian sausage instead of links. Use 3 or 4 links, four if you want it extra meaty or to feed more people.
- Garlic - Always use fresh if you can!
- Flour - Just a little flour helps thicken up your cream sauce, but you can leave it out if you like.
- Cream - Heavy cream is the star of this pasta sauce, simmering and thickening while coating every bite.
- Parmesan - Also a big flavor component of the sauce and the finished dish! It's always best to buy a block of Parmesan and grate it yourself, it lasts a lot longer than pre-shredded too!
See recipe card below for full quantities.
Instructions
Cook up the sausage and make it into the sauce, all while the pasta and broccoli cook together!
Step 1 - Simmer the sausages in water in a big skillet, enough to hold the finished dish. Slice them on a cutting board.
Step 2 - Meanwhile, set a large pot of water to boil for the pasta and chop the broccoli into florets.
Step 3 - Brown the sliced sausage, letting them caramelize for delicious flavor!
Step 4 - Add the garlic, flour and seasonings. Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your heat level liking!
Stir for a minute, then add the cream and simmer on low to thicken.
Step 5 - Cook the pasta in the boiling water for a total of 12 minutes.
Add the broccoli to cook together during the final 4 minutes.
Step 6 - BEFORE DRAINING, use a ladel, glass measuring cup or a coffee mug to pull out 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water.
Step 7 - Add the 1 cup of pasta water to the cream sauce. Continue to stir over a low burner, it will thicken as it heats.
Step 8 - Add the drained pasta and broccoli and toss everything together with plenty of Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- How to Adjust the Amount to go Bigger or Smaller - For 4 to 6 adults, use 4 sausage links and the full pound of pasta. If you're only serving 2 or 3 and want leftovers, use 3 sausage links and consider using about ¾ of the package of pasta. The other ingredient amounts will work out with either variation.
- Serve it With - Pasta is always delicious with a salad or garlic bread! This Italian Mixed Greens Salad or this Spinach Arugula Salad are some of our favorites!
- Storage - Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat with a splash of milk or cream, it will dry out a bit after being refrigerated.
Recipe FAQs
It's got a little kick of heat from the crushed red pepper flakes, but this can easily be adjusted up or down or omitted. You can also choose mild or hot Italian sausage links, whatever you like!
A cream sauce is always in motion. As it sits on the burner, it will continue to reduce and thicken. If it becomes too thick or dry when you add the pasta, you can add a bit more of the pasta water, more cream, or even a splash of milk. I often do this when coming back for a second helping, and especially when reheating.
Yes! Just add it to the boiling pasta in the last 1 or 2 minutes instead of 4. Frozen broccoli is already blanched so you don't need to cook it as long.
More Favorite Pasta Recipes!
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Sausage Broccoli Rigatoni
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Print Pin RateIngredients
- 3 to 4 links Italian Sausage
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta (save 1 to 2 cups of the pasta cooking water)
- 1 pound broccoli cut into florets
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
- fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, thyme or rosemary (optional)
Instructions
- Set a large pot to boil for the pasta over high heat. In another large deep skillet or pot, add the sausage links and cover with water over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer as needed until fully cooked, about 10 minutes.
- When the pasta water boils, add a big pinch of salt and cook the pasta, about 12 minutes. In the last 4 minutes of the pasta cooking, add the raw chopped broccoli so they finish cooking together. RESERVE 1 to 2 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water, use a ladle, measuring cup or coffee mug to scoop it out. Then drain the pasta and broccoli and reserve in the colander.
- When the sausages are fully cooked, remove them to a cutting board, drain the water, and slice.
- Add the olive oil to the now empty skillet over medium heat and saute the sliced sausage, tossing and flipping occasionally until nicely browned, about 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic, flour, dried thyme and crushed red pepper, and stir another minute.
- Add the cream and the reserved 1 cup of pasta water, stirring everything together. Allow the cream sauce to thicken over low heat, about 5 minutes.
- When the sauce has thickened, add the pasta, broccoli, parmesan cheese and fresh herbs and toss until everything is coated.
- Serve with more Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- A Note on Salt - I didn't add any salt to the recipe (other than to the boiling pasta water) because Italian sausage is usually salty enough for the whole dish. You can always taste your cream sauce or finished dish and add salt and pepper to your liking.
- Adjusting the Thickness of the Sauce - The longer the sauce sits on the burner, the more it will thicken and dry out. You can always add a bit more cream, starchy pasta water, or even milk if your sauce becomes too dry.
- How to Adjust the Amount to go Bigger or Smaller - For 4 to 6 adults, use 4 sausage links and the full pound of pasta. If you're only serving 2 or 3 and want leftovers, use 3 sausage links and consider using about ¾ of the package of pasta. The other ingredient amounts will work out with either variation.
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