If dinner needs to be on the table quickly, this pear, gouda, and chicken sausage rigatoni with spinach is one recipe you’ll want to remember.  From the photo, it might look like there isn’t a sauce on the pasta, but rest assured there is.  It’s a simple pan sauce.  Never made a pan sauce?  No worries, read on to find out how its done.

How do you make a simple pan sauce?

1.  De-glaze the pan with a flavorful liquid, like white wine, or a combination of wine and stock.
2.  Scrap off the caramelized bits on the bottom with a flat wooden spoon called a turner and bring to a boil.
3.  Reduce liquid to half.  This should take 3 to 5 minutes.
4.  Remove from heat and whisk in the fat: either butter or cream.
5.  If you want to thicken the sauce, return to the heat and whisk in a bit of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water or stock.
6.  Season with salt and pepper.
7.  To change things up, whisk in Dijon mustard, miso, or Worchestire sauce after step 4, or add shallots, garlic, and fresh herbs to the pan before step 1.

How to Make Sausage, Pear, and Gouda Rigatoni with Spinach

Gather all the ingredients; then cut the sausage, red pepper, gouda, and red pear.

In a large skillet, saute the sausage, red pepper, red pear, and spinach.

De-glaze the skillet with white wine using a flat wooden spoon, called a turner.

Cook the wine until it is reduced by half, then remove from heat.  Whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time and season with salt and pepper.  Pour the simple pan sauce over the rigatoni noodles and stir to coat the pasta.

Add the rigatoni and the sausage mixture back to the skillet.  Stir and heat through.

Serve in a pretty serving bowl.  Garnish with tiny cubes of Gouda, fresh thyme leaves, and a grind or two fresh black pepper.

Picture perfect.  Now all that’s left to do is bring it to a table of hungry children and let them dig in!

Pro Tips

1. Cook your pasta until al-dente.
2. Use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet.
3. De-glaze your pan with white wine.
4. For your pan sauce, add butter or cream for your fat.
5. Cut the Gouda into tiny cubes instead of grating it for the garnish.
6. Use fresh thyme during the garnish stage instead of in the pan sauce.

If you loved this pasta dish, try our other skillet pasta dishes.

• Ham and Peas Bow Tie Pasta: tender pasta, smoked ham, and green peas tossed in a creamy lemony sauce.
• Skillet Hamburger Mac: a hearty dinner recipe that’s been a family favorite for many years.
• Tortellini with Basil Alfredo Sauce: a quick and easy dinner recipe that gets rave reviews from both young and old.

Made this recipe?  We would be tickled pink if you would leave a review or comment below.

Pear, Gouda, and Chicken Sausage Rigatoni with Spinach

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• Author: Brooke
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 10 cups
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Pear, gouda, and chicken sausage rigatoni with spinach is an easy homemade recipe that has a simple pan sauce that coats the pasta.  Add red pepper, red pear, and fresh spinach for color.  It’s a great option for a quick weeknight meal to serve your family for dinner.

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Ingredients

• 8 ounces dry rigatoni (227g)
• 1 teaspoon salt (for cooking pasta)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound pear, gouda, and chicken sausage, pre-cooked and coined (450g)
• 1 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red pear, cored and cubed into bite size pieces (145g)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 4 cups fresh spinach
• 1 1/2 cups white cooking wine
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into 1 tablespoon pats
• kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup gouda cheese, finely cubed (70g)
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, for garnish
• Fresh black pepper, for garnish

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Instructions

1. Cook the rigatoni with salt according to the package directions until it is al dente.  Drain and rinse with cold water, then toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil.
2. While the water is boiling for the pasta, start on the sausage mixture.  Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large skillet over medium high heat, then add the sausage and the red pepper.  Cook for 4 minutes while stirring occasionally.  Add the pear and cook for 2 minutes, then add the spinach and stir constantly until it is wilted and has turned a bright green.
3. Remove the sausage mixture from the skillet and transfer to a large plate.
4. Start making the pan sauce by deglazing the pan with the wine over medium high heat.  Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (called fond) with a flat wooden spoon.  The fond will add flavor to the sauce.
5. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and whisk in one tablespoon of butter at a time.  Season to taste with a sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
6. Pour the pan sauce over the pasta and stir until well coated.
7. Add the pasta and sausage mixture back to the skillet, set over medium heat, and stir until well combined.  Cook for 3 minutes or until heated through.
8. Serve immediately with a garnish of smoked Gouda cubes and a generous sprinkle of fresh thyme and cracked black pepper.

Notes

• The sausage I used is called Chicken, Pear, and Gouda from Sam’s Club.  This is not a sponsored post.
• This pasta dish will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Keywords: red pear, rigatoni, sausage