This Spicy Sausage and Fennel Rigatoni is a hearty tomato-based pasta dish that comes together quickly and goes great with a side of homemade bread.
You can’t go wrong with a good pasta dish, and this Spicy Sausage and Fennel Rigatoni is no exception. It has just the right amount of heat from the hot Italian sausage and red pepper and a just a hint of sweetness from the fennel seeds. We love the pepperiness of the pecorino and the kale adds bulk as well as ribbons of color. Plus, it’s a good way to use up any dark leafy greens you have.
For nuttiness, we added some toasted pine nuts on top then sprinkled on some freshly grated pecorino for good measure. On the day we photographed this, we managed to have some freshly baked wheat bread which went perfectly with this dish, but you can also pair it with one of our garlic butter dinner rolls.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Rigatoni: A similar pasta like elicoidali or tortiglioni are good substitutes.
- Hot Italian Sausage: We usually get the ground Italian sausage but if you get the links, just be sure to remove their casings before adding it to the pot.
- Lacinato Kale: You can substitute the kale with spinach.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
1. Cook the Italian sausage. Heat a large Dutch oven and cook the Italian sausage until browned. Set aside in a bowl and reduce the heat.
2. Cook the aromatics. Heat the oil in the pot and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the garlic and fennel seeds and toss around for several seconds until fragrant.
3. Make the sauce. Add the sausage back to the pot then stir in the crushed tomatoes, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Let it simmer for 5 minutes then stir in the cream, pecorino, and pasta water.
4. Add the chopped kale. Stir in the chopped kale until wilted and cooked down.
5. Toss in the rigatoni. Add your al dente rigatoni to the sauce and gently toss to coat the pasta.
6. Toast the pine nuts. Add the pine nuts to a small pan over medium heat and move them around occasionally until toasted. To serve, top the pasta with the pine nuts and freshly grated pecorino.
If you made this Spicy Sausage and Fennel Rigatoni recipe, please let us know by leaving a star rating and review down below. We’d love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Spicy Sausage and Fennel Rigatoni
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
- Large Pot
- Small Pan
Ingredients
- 1 lb (454 g) rigatoni
- 1 lb (454 g) hot Italian sausage casings removed if using links
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 tbsp fennel seeds
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 28-oz (794 g) can crushed tomatoes
- ½ tsp fine sea salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (32 g) freshly grated pecorino romano packed, plus more for topping
- 1 bunch lacinato kale stems removed, chopped
- ½ cup (75 g) pine nuts
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the water then add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Once done, reserve 1 cup of pasta water then drain the pasta. Meanwhile, make the sauce.
- Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned, reduce the heat to medium and transfer the meat to a bowl.
- Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven then add the onions. Sauté until translucent, scraping up any brown bits in the pot. Add the fennel seeds and garlic and toss around for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sausage back to the pot then stir in the crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce to medium-low heat and continue simmering for 5 minutes.
- To the sauce, add the cream, pecorino romano, and ½ cup (125 ml) of reserved pasta water. Stir to combine then taste and add more salt if needed.
- Toss in the chopped kale, cooking until wilted. Add the pasta to the sauce and gently toss until everything is well coated. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of pasta water. Keep on low heat while you toast the pine nuts.
- Add the pine nuts to a small saucepan and place over medium heat. Move them around occasionally until toasted/browned.
- Serve the pasta with a sprinkle of pine nuts and freshly grated pecorino romano.
Notes
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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