Rigatoni with Sausage, Artichokes & Asparagus is one of our favorite hearty pasta meals. While the pasta is cooked separately, the rest of the ingredients come together in a single large skillet for easy finishing and serving.
I like to use a deep sauté pan that holds at least four quarts so you can move it from the stove to the table. A cast-iron deep sauté pan works well and is an attractive piece to bring directly to the buffet. If you prefer a more budget-friendly option, a deep skillet with similar capacity will do the job.
This recipe is adapted from Giada de Laurentiis’ Everyday Pasta. The main change here is the use of mild Italian chicken sausage instead of hot sausage. If you prefer more heat, use hot Italian sausage—the dish is delicious either way.
Sun-dried tomatoes add a distinctive sweet-tart richness to the sauce. If you have homemade sun-dried tomatoes, use them; otherwise, a good-quality jarred variety packed in oil works perfectly. Reserve some of that oil to sauté the sausage and vegetables—it contributes notable flavor to the finished dish.
- Heat the reserved oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat.
- Use a pan with at least 4 1/2 quart capacity.
- Add sausage and cook, breaking it into bite-size pieces, until browned, about 8 minutes.
- Transfer the browned sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Add the artichokes, asparagus and garlic to the pan.
- Sauté over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant and tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken broth, white wine and sun-dried tomatoes to the pan.
- Simmer over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, about 8 minutes.
- Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta.
- Cook the rigatoni until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often. Follow the package timing but reduce the al dente time by 1 minute so the pasta finishes cooking in the sauce.
Important: Do not overcook the pasta. It should be slightly underdone when you drain it so it can finish cooking while it absorbs the sauce.
- Drain the pasta.
- Add the drained pasta and reserved sausage to the artichoke mixture.
- Finish cooking over low heat while gently stirring until the sauce is nearly absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Remove from the heat.
- Stir in the shredded Parmesan, chopped basil, parsley and cubed fresh mozzarella.
- Garnish with extra grated Parmesan and more fresh basil if desired.
- Serve with additional grated Parmesan at the table.
If you need a vegetarian version, omit the sausage and add sliced portabella mushrooms, and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
Either way, serve this Rigatoni with Sausage, Artichokes & Asparagus with a crisp green salad and plenty of crusty bread.
This yields a flavorful, satisfying meal that’s great for family dinners or casual entertaining.
Rigatoni with Sausage, Artichokes & Asparagus
Adapted from Everyday Pasta by Giada de Laurentiis
Creamy, flavorful and hearty.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (reserve oil)
- 2 tablespoons reserved oil from sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing
- 2 8-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
- 12 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, for seasoning
- 12 ounces rigatoni or other tubular pasta
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
Instructions
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Heat the reserved oil in a large, heavy frying pan (at least 4 1/2 quart capacity) over medium heat.
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Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking it into bite-size pieces, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
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Add the artichokes, asparagus and garlic and sauté until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes.
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Add the chicken broth, white wine and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
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Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until tender but still firm to the bite. Follow the package timing but reduce the al dente time by 1 minute. Drain the pasta.
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Add the drained pasta and sausage to the artichoke mixture. Finish cooking over low heat while gently stirring until the sauce is almost absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
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Stir in the Parmesan, basil, parsley and mozzarella. Sprinkle with extra Parmesan and basil if desired and offer additional Parmesan at the table.
Disclosure: Some links in the original post were affiliate links. Recommendations were based on personal experience.
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