Creamy Sausage Rigatoni with Saffron

This Creamy Sausage Rigatoni with Saffron is perfect for a special night in — creamy without being heavy, rich with savory Italian sausage, and finished with just a hint of saffron for warmth and depth. It feels indulgent and romantic, but still totally doable on a weeknight.

It’s always hard to find recipes that feel special enough for a cozy night in, so I wanted to create one that’s delicious and comforting whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s Day, hosting friends, or just making dinner feel a little extra. It scales beautifully for a crowd (I did for my Galentine’s party!), and I swear it tastes like something you’d order at your favorite Italian restaurant—no reservation required. When Clayton took one bite, he looked up and said, “wow, what is this?!”

The sauce is somewhere in between a bolognese and vodka sauce with depths of flavor from the tomato paste, heavy cream, saffron, and sausage. I love to serve it with rigatoni, which is hearty and great for holding the meaty sausage, but any similar shaped pasta (paccheri, calamarata, or even orecchiette) will work well.

Ingredients

• Saffron
• Dry White Wine
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Shallot
• Garlic Cloves
• Tomato Paste
• Heavy Cream
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Dry Rigatoni Pasta
• Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
• Fresh Parsley Leaves

Step-by-Step:

step one: boil the water

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

step two: bloom the saffron

Meanwhile, in a small bowl or cup, stir together the saffron threads and white wine. Set aside and allow the saffron to “bloom.”

step three: cook the sausage

Heat the oil in large deep skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the pan and cook, breaking up the meat with the edge of a spoon until cooked through and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain off excess fat, if needed.

step four: cook the shallots and garlic

Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot and garlic. Cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.

step five: add the wine

Pour in the saffron-wine mixture and stir, scraping up any of the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined.

step six: stir in the cream

Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the pasta.

step seven: cook the pasta

Add the pasta to the boiling water with plenty of salt and cook to al dente, according to package directions. When the pasta is tender, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.

step eight: toss to combine

Increase the heat over the sausage sauce to medium. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss until well combined. Add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and continue to cook, tossing, until the pasta is well coated in the sauce and glossy. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and remove from the heat. You likely won’t need the other 1/2 cup of pasta water, but if your pasta sauce gets too thick and you need to thin it out, add a few splashes and stir until it’s coated and glossy.

step nine: garnish and serve

To serve, divide the pasta among 2 to 4 pasta bowls. Sprinkle with a touch more Parmigiano-Reggiano and finish with the parsley. Serve and enjoy!

recipe faqs:

If you’re looking for a restaurant-worthy recipe that you can make for Valentine’s Day or just an at-home date night, I hope you’ll give this this Creamy Sausage Rigatoni with Saffron a try!

looking for more date night recipes? try these!

Basque-Style Roasted Piquillo Peppers with Seared Ribeye

Coq au Champagne

Saucy Green Pasta with Calabrian Breadcrumbs

Flourless Fallen Chocolate Cake

5 from 7 votes

Creamy Sausage Rigatoni with Saffron

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 2

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 teaspoon saffron threads
• ▢ 1/2 cup dry white wine
• ▢ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 1/2 pound bulk hot Italian sausage
• ▢ 1/2 cup minced shallot (from about 1 large shallot)
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 1/2 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• ▢ 6 ounces dry rigatoni pasta
• ▢ 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
• ▢ 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions 

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl or cup, stir together the saffron threads and white wine. Set aside and allow the saffron to “bloom.”
• Heat the oil in large deep skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the sausage to the pan and cook, breaking up the meat with the edge of a spoon until cooked through and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Drain off excess fat, if needed.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot and garlic. Cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
• Pour in the saffron-wine mixture and stir, scraping up any of the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Add the tomato paste and stir until well combined.
• Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the pasta.
• Add the pasta to the boiling water with plenty of salt and cook to al dente, according to package directions. When the pasta is tender, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
• Increase the heat over the sausage sauce to medium. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and toss until well combined. Add the grated parmesan and continue to cook, tossing, until the pasta is well coated in the sauce and glossy. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and remove from the heat. You likely won’t need the other 1/2 cup of pasta water, but if your pasta sauce gets too thick and you need to thin it out, add a few splashes and stir until it’s coated and glossy.
• To serve, divide the pasta among 2 pasta bowls. Sprinkle with a touch more Parmigiano-Reggiano and finish with the parsley. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 1186kcal, Carbohydrates: 84g, Protein: 41g, Fat: 72g, Saturated Fat: 32g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Monounsaturated Fat: 29g, Cholesterol: 170mg, Sodium: 2552mg, Potassium: 1006mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1490IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 422mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Alex Snodgrass

Course: Main Course

Servings: 2

Calories: 1186

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