Rigatoni with Sausage, Spinach, and Goat Cheese

This creamy, tangy, and delicious Rigatoni with Sausage, Spinach, and Goat Cheese dish will quickly become a family favorite.  This recipe has basic ingredients, but it turns into magic when the melted goat cheese brings them together.  The whole meal can come together very quickly, so it’s great for a last-minute dinner.  Whenever we have a pasta dinner, usually on Sundays, everything is in a separate dish on the table.  The pasta has it’s own bowl, the meat, whether its sausage, meatballs or even a roast, has a platter and then either a vegetable or a salad at the end of the meal. This Rigatoni with Sauage, Spinach, and Goat Cheese has it all in one skillet.

Let’s Start this Rigatoni Dish!

I start by browning the sausage in a lightly oiled cast iron pan.  Leave the sausage whole and get a nice golden brown on all the sides before removing. 

Now we are going to wilt our spinach just a little bit.  If you have ever sauteed spinach before, you start with a large big beautiful bunch that fills the pan, and then, after being cooked, it turns into 1/100^th of the amount you started with. 

We are going for something in between raw and invisible.  With the oil leftover from browning the sausage, add the spinach with salt and pepper and wilt slightly. Remove your spinach.    

Next, we are going to make a basic tomato sauce for this Rigatoni dish.  Now that your skillet is empty, add a little more oil and toss in your onions.  Cook until just translucent, and add your minced garlic.  Cook for another minute until the garlic is slightly golden then add your tomatoes.

I always start with whole tomatoes to make them whatever size I want based on my recipe.  For this recipe, I wanted my sauce to have more texture.  I like how the chunkier tomato pieces hold on to the melted goat cheese, so I break up the whole tomatoes with my hands until I get the consistency I want.  You can use tomatoes that are already crushed or diced. Add salt, pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper.  Simmer and reduce the sauce until it thickens.  In the meantime, boil your water for the rigatoni.  When the water reaches a roaring boil, salt your water.  Salt your water like it’s swimming in the ocean.  When you are cooking pasta in boiling water, it’s the only time you have a chance to flavor the actual noodles, so the saltier the water, the better.

Slice goat cheese and add to your reduced tomato sauce and stir. 

Cut sausage into thin slices and add them and the spinach into the goat cheese sauce.  Give everything a good mix.

When the rigatoni is al dente, drain and add to the skillet.  Stir all together and top with freshly shredded parmesan cheese.

Enjoy this easy Rigatoni with Sausage, Spinach, and Goat Cheese any night of the week, not just on Sundays.