This easy one-pan skillet recipe is loaded with textures and flavours and a hint of heat. The creamy marinara sauce makes this a perfect satisfying meal on those cold winter days.
This makes a perfect weekday meal to throw together at the last minute. The outcome is super delicious that has you going back for seconds. I cooked this meal in a cast iron skillet, and just before I added the pasta to this dish, and each ingredient is coated with this creamy marinara sauce of deliciousness. This recipe is ideal to add different veggies to it, to add not only additional flavour but textures, and as we know the more veggies the healthier it is.
What makes this recipe so good:
- When adding a sausage to a recipe and allowing to cook in a skillet with the ingredients can add so much flavour to a dish. Whether you choose a pork sausage or not, the flavours will do wonders for a dish.
- Marinara sauce is one of those sauces can be really bring a dish to the next level. This sauce I made is a keeper, and what I like to do is make a large pot and freeze the extra for recipes like this. You don’t need a lot for this recipe but the impact of flavour is noticeable. You can find my recipe by tapping on this link: Easy Homemade Marinara Sauce
- Cheeses that I added to this recipe is whipping cream, goat cheese, and Parmesan cheese. It may seem like a lot however, there is only 4 tbsp of goat cheese and Parmesan cheese is only added as a garnish.
Ingredients:
Pasta: I use rigatoni, but penne, or rotini would work for this recipe
Sausage: I used a mild spicy Italian sausage, just enough for the spiciness to come through on this dish, but if you like heat, a hot spicy sausage would work for this dish as well
Vegetables: adding a coloured pepper, gives this dish it’s sweetness, and the broccoli and spinach were added for colour and texture, not to mention how healthy it is for us
Onion and garlic: a good base to gives this recipe it’s tasty flavours
Chili powder: I wanted to add a difference edge to this recipe, and I really like the hint of chili powder, a little heat and flavour
Marinara sauce: gives this dish it’s colour and more delicious flavour; if you don’t have marinara sauce, a tomato sauce would do the same
Whipping cream: gives this dish it’s creaminess and balances the flavours with the marinara sauce
Goat cheese: I wanted to give this recipe, just a little more rich cheesiness
Parmesan cheese: a tasty garnish to finish off this dish
Good to know: there are other alternatives to using to whipping cream, and goat cheese such as Greek yogurt, tofu, evaporated milk or soy milk and use a starch such as cornstarch or arrowroot to thicken the sauce.
One-Pan Italian Sausage in a Creamy Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz rigatoni pasta
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb links mild Italian sausage
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 coloured pepper, sliced
- 3/4 cup broccoli, cut into pieces
- 4 tbsp marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup whipped cream
- 1 cup organic spinach
- 4 tbsp goat cheese, dollops
- parmesan cheese, garnishing
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package or until al dente. Before you drain the pasta, reserve about 3 tablespoons to add to the skillet with the pasta.
- Heat a skillet or cast iron skillet at medium temperature and add olive oil, then removed the casings from the sausage and add to the skillet. Cook at medium heat for about 7 minutes until the sausage is cooked through. Remove the sausage onto a plate and set aside. There should be some fat reserved from the sausage, if not, then add another tablespoon of olive oil.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Add onions and sauté for about 3 minutes, then sauté for about 2 minutes, then add garlic and cook for about one minute. Stir in the chili powder, then add coloured pepper and broccoli, and sauté for about 3 minutes, add cooked sausage. Stir in homemade marinara sauce, and spinach then add the cream. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in the reserved pasta water to the skillet, then add the cooked pasta. Add the dollops of goat cheese and some parmesan cheese, then transfer to oven for about 10 minutes, long enough for the cheese to melt.
- Sprinkle parmesan cheese to your liking. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Nutrition
How to make this recipe:
Cut, chop and measure your ingredients and have them ready to add to your skillet or cast iron pan. Remove the casings from the sausage, add to skillet with a little olive oil and sauté for about 5 minutes until cooked, transfer to a place. Then add onion, cook for a few minutes, then garlic and your veggies.
Once the vegetables have cooked for a few minutes, then add the marinara sauce and whipped cream, and at medium heat cook for a few minutes to allow the sauce to blend well, and thicken. Check the seasonings at this point.
Then add the pasta, goat cheese and parmesan cheese. Transfer to the oven at 375 degrees F. for 10 minutes. Once removed then using a spoon to blend in the goat cheese and coat the pasta with the sauce.
Coat the pasta and vegetables with the sauce once it’s removed from the oven, spreading the goat cheese throughout. Once the goat cheese is melted, combine all of the ingredients so that the pasta is well coated. Feel free to add more goat cheese, for that rich cheesy flavour. Serve up and garnish with Parmesan cheese.
Creamy delicious healthy pasta dish that is a perfect recipe to add your favourite veggies. Enjoy!:)
