Sausage & Corn Rigatoni

Sausage & Corn Rigatoni

Loop & Dash

This Sausage & Corn Rigatoni is pasta perfection in a bowl! Zesty Italian sausage pairs perfectly with sweet corn and tomatoes for a unique flavor combination.

Servings: servings

Ingredients

1 lb rigatoni pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb Italian ground sausage
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 cups frozen corn
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 cups baby spinach
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated plus more for serving
red pepper flakes, for serving

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 12 minutes. Drain and return to the pot, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.Toss with 1 tbsp of olive oil.
While the pasta is cooking, add the sausage to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking apart the sausage as you go, until the sausage is browned and cooked through. Remove the sausage to a paper towel lined plate and drain the excess grease from the pan.
To the same skillet over medium heat, add the onion, tomato, corn, and a pinch of salt and cook for about 5-6 minutes, until the onion is translucent and soft and the tomatoes begin to soften.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute, until it is fragrant.
Return the sausage to the pan and stir in the spinach. Cook for a couple of minutes until the spinach is wilted. Taste for seasoning and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Add the sausage mixture to the pot with the rigatoni and toss together. Add some of the pasta water if the sausage mixture is not easily coating the pasta.
Stir in the basil and parmesan cheese. Serve with additional parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.

Notes

If you’re making this when corn is in season, replace the frozen corn with the kernels from two ears of corn.
If you can’t find ground Italian sausage, buy links and cut the casings off.
If you add pasta water, do so a little at a time so that you’re careful not to add too much!

PREP AHEAD:

Dice the onion up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Grate the parmesan cheese in advance.
The sausage mixture can be made up to 4 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it. Reheat on the stove and add to the pasta per the instructions.

Nutrition

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