Garlic and fennel from Italian sausage hitting a warm pot pulls everyone toward the picnic table without a word. As the sausage browns, those caramelized bits cling to the bottom—exactly what you want—before the tomatoes go in and loosen everything into a glossy red sauce that tastes like it’s had hours, not minutes.
One-Pot Italian Sausage & Tomato Pasta is made for dinner on a propane stove: one pot, one spoon, and a meal that won’t steal your evening once you’re back from the trail. The rigatoni cooks right in the tomato-sausage liquid, soaking up flavor as it softens, and the pasta starch naturally thickens the sauce so it clings to every tube instead of pooling at the bottom.
Finish it with a generous shower of parmesan and a handful of torn basil if you’ve got it in the cooler. The cheese melts into the steam, the herbs cut through the richness, and the pot stays warm long enough for seconds—then you’re left with little more than a quick rinse and a wipe before the light drops.
One-Pot Italian Sausage & Tomato Pasta
Equipment
- 4-quart pot with lid
- Wooden spoon
- Knife
- Cutting board
Ingredients
- 8 oz rigatoni or penne pasta
- 12 oz Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can diced tomatoes 15 oz, with juice
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 oz
- 3 cups water
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in the pot over medium heat.
- Add sausage and break it up with a spoon. Cook until browned and crumbled, 5-6 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, Italian herbs, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in pasta and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 12-14 minutes until pasta is tender and sauce is thickened.
- Remove from heat. Stir in half the parmesan cheese.
- Serve hot, topped with remaining parmesan and fresh basil.