Italian Sausage Rigatoni

This pasta has the most delicious spicy tomato cream sauce that I absolutely love! Combine that sauce with pasta, sausage, tomatoes and spinach and you have a most delicious meal. 

Even though this meal has spinach in it and could maybe pass for a complete meal, I served it with a salad to make it more of a complete meal. I am always trying to find ways to add more vegetables into my diet and I felt like adding a salad along with the spinach in the pasta would help me to get more vegetables into my diet.

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces rigatoni
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 16 ounces Italian sausage
• 4 ounces bacon, chopped
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 14.5 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package direction and drain well. Return the pasta to the pan.
2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add in the sausage and bacon and cook until the sausage is completely cooked and bacon is crispy. Using a slotted spoon transfer the meats to a paper towel lined plate, keeping as much oil in the pan as possible.
3. Add in the diced onion and sauté until soft and translucent. Add in the minced garlic and sauté for an additional minute.
4. Pour in the wine and add in the tomatoes. Stir and allow to simmer until the liquid has reduced by almost half.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cream, spinach, black pepper, crushed red pepper and sausage and bacon mixture. Simmer until the cream is heated and spinach has wilted, adjusting the heat as needed so the cream does not come to a boil, just keep it at a simmer.
6. Add in the parmesan cheese and simmer until the cheese has melted and sauce has thickened slightly.
7. Pour the sauce over the noodle and stir to coat the noodles well with the sauce.

Enjoy!!!

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 535
Total Fat		35.9g
Saturated Fat		16.8g
Trans Fat		0g
Polyunsaturated Fat		0.3g
Monounsaturated Fat		1.6g
Cholesterol		78mg
Sodium		384.4mg
Total Carbohydrates		25.5g
Dietary Fiber		2.7g
Sugars		3.3g
Protein		11.9g
Calcium		17.2%
Iron		9.4%
Potassium		257.4mg
Vitamin A		40.7%
Vitamin C		12.6%
*Nutritional information will vary depending on the brands you use.

*Adapted from Don't Sweat the Recipe.