Rigatoni with Sausage, Beans, and Greens
I had this recipe for rigatoni with sausage, beans, and greens from Bon Appetit bookmarked for a while now but wanted to wait for cooler weather to make it. We recently started having some cool and rainy days so I decided to finally give this recipe a try and I am so glad I did! I loved how easy this pasta was to throw together and that it made a sauce from the cooking liquid, good Parmesan cheese, and the seasonings–so simple! This rigatoni with sausage, beans, and greens was really hearty without being too filling and my whole family enjoyed it and it paired nicely with crusty bread and a tossed salad.
How to Make Rigatoni with Sausage, Beans, and Greens
Prepare your pasta by cooking it in well-salted boiling water per the package instructions making sure to cook the rigatoni about 3 minutes less than what is called for because you will finish cooking it with the sauce. Reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water before draining pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage removed from its casing and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste, to the hot skillet and cook, stirring often while making sure to break into crumbles, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Remove from the skillet to a plate; set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the skillet then add the white beans and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, or until a bit golden, remove half of the beans, and place in the sausage. To the remaining beans in the pan, add the cooked pasta and 1 cup of the pasta cooking water along with the chopped Swiss chard. Cook, tossing often until the chard is starting to wilt and the pasta is al dente and the water is reduced by about half, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
Add another 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water to the pan, then gradually add the cheese slowly, tossing all the while, until the cheese is emulsified into the water and forms a glossy sauce.
Remove skillet from heat and add reserved beans and sausage along with 2 tablespoons of butter, tossing until the butter is melted and mixed thoroughly. Add the juice from 1/2 lemon and toss until evenly mixed. Pour into a serving bowl and top with freshly cracked black pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately with extra cheese and lemon on the side.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni, cooked per instructions in salted water **Cook three minutes less than instructions call for--pasta will finish cooking in the sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 2-3 links Italian sausage, to taste, casings removed
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 large clove of garlic, minced
- 1 (15 oz) can Cannellini beans (white kidney), rinsed & drained, let dry on paper towels.
- 1 bunch of Swiss chard, thick stems & ribs removed, torn into pieces
- 2 oz Parmesan, finely grated
- 2 tbsp butter **Don't skip this step!
- Juice from 1/2 lemon **Don't skip this step!
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Prepare your pasta by cooking it in a large pot of well-salted boiling water per the package instructions making sure to cook the rigatoni about 3 minutes less than what is called for because you will finish cooking it with the sauce. Reserve 2 cups of pasta cooking water before draining pasta.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large and deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage removed from its casing and crushed red pepper flakes, to taste, to the hot skillet and cook, stirring often while making sure to break into crumbles, for about 3 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Remove from the skillet to a plate; set aside.
- Heat the remaining oil in the skillet then add the white beans and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes, or until a bit golden, remove half of the beans, and place in the sausage.
- To the remaining beans in the pan, add the cooked pasta and 1 cup of the pasta cooking water along with the chopped Swiss chard. Cook, tossing often until the chard is starting to wilt and the pasta is al dente and the water is reduced by about half, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
- Add another 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water to the pan, then gradually add the cheese slowly, tossing all the while, until the cheese is emulsified into the water and forms a glossy sauce.
- Remove skillet from heat and add reserved beans and sausage along with 2 tablespoons of butter, tossing until the butter is melted and mixed thoroughly.
- Add the juice from 1/2 lemon and toss until evenly mixed.
- Pour into a serving bowl and top with freshly cracked black pepper and freshly grated parmesan cheese.
- Serve immediately with extra cheese and lemon on the side.
This looks hearty, filling and so tasty!
This looks delicious! So the combination of pasta and beans isn’t too heavy? I will be making this for sure. Thanks!
I like easy and delicious
Delicious pasta. Love the added beans.
My husband made this for dinner while I was traveling. We used Johnsonville Turkey Italian Dinner Sausage, which is my new favorite lower-fat sausage! We also tried substituting kale because we had it from our CSA. He said the kale was too chewy….it would be better with Swiss Chard or spinach. But overall the flavor was very good, and it was easy.
Julie,
I am glad your husband gave it a try. I really liked it with Swiss chard but I imagine spinach would be tasty too.
-Pam
how much cheese goes into the pasta?
Mary,
Thank you for letting me know it was missing from the recipe. You need 2 oz of parmesan finely grated plus a bit more for serving.
-Pam
Very good. I would add more garlic–4 cloves or so. I also used the ribs of the Swiss chard–I sliced them very thin. Very colorful and delish. (I might double the beans next time.)
MS,
I’ll have to remember to use the ribs of the chard next time–thanks for the tip. Adding more garlic is never a bad idea in my opinion! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
Excellent recipe – relatively quick and easy. Love it!
V-Gal,
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
Very creamy and tasty. Recommend adding additional sausage, I used 3 links of chicken Italian sausage and it wasn’t enough. For additional flavor, also add the juice of 1 lemon vs a half.
Janice,
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam