Sausage and Swiss Chard Rigatoni combines flavourful Italian sausage, creamy white beans, and subtle tasting swiss chard creating a memorable pasta dish you will put on repeat!
Sausage and Swiss Chard Rigatoni
One of my favourite proteins to cook with is sausage as it can be used in many different ways. For the last 19 years we have been buying fresh made sausage from local company Spolumbo’s Fine Foods & Deli. If you follow my blog and recipes, you will note I reference this company a few times as they are the best sausages I’ve had.
Swiss Chard
This leafy, colourful green is a member of the beet family. It’s an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, magnesium and full of antioxidants. Leaves are firm with a mild, sweet, earthy and slight bitter taste.
It’s delicious in salads, saute with olive oil and lemon, chopped and tossed into soups or mixed into eggs dishes like frittatas, quiche and omelets.
Ingredients for Sausage and Swiss Chard Rigatoni
Many of the ingredients in this dish are pantry ingredients with the exception of a couple! These are the main items you will need to make this recipe.
- Italian Sausage
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Fresh basil
- Swiss Chard
- Canned navy beans
- Rigatoni
- Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese
Brown your sausage and add all ingredients through to navy beans to create the sauce. Mix with cooked rigatoni, pour into a greased casserole dish, top with cheese and bake until bubbly. This dish will surprise you, it’s very tasty!
Looking for a glass of vino to enjoy with this pasta, we might recommend a Gamay, Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec.
Tips & Tricks
- I always buy spicy Italian sausages to add to dishes. So much extra flavour and zip!
- Undercook your pasta as it will continue to cook while baking in the oven.
- Don’t love Swiss Chard, use Spinach instead!
- Substitute black beans for white beans.
- Save some basil to sprinkle on top just before serving. Also grate extra Parmesan cheese for the same reason.
- Saving the pasta water is important as it helps creates the sauce, plus flavour!
Check out these additional, hearty and satisfying pasta dishes!
- Baked Chicken and Pancetta Pasta, uses pancetta, chicken breasts and three cheeses.
- Butternut Squash, Brown Butter & Rosemary Pasta, is vegetarian and delicious.
- Sausage & Pepper Pasta, created to use up leftover grilled sausage and vegetables.
- Pastistio, layered Greek pasta dish similar to Lasagna
If you made this recipe please tag Wanda Baker on Instagram and hashtag it #bakersbeans or #wandabaker! Would love your feedback in the comments section below!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 mild Italian sausages casings removed
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- sprinkle of hot pepper flakes or more if your family can handle it
- 1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
- pinch of salt & sugar
- 1 cup canned navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 5 cups rigatoni pasta
- 2-3 cups chopped Swiss chard
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Parmesan grated/shredded
Instructions
- In pan heat your oil and add sausages breaking them up. Stir and cook until nicely browned.
- Stir in garlic & hot pepper flakes cooking for another minute and then toss in tomatoes, basil, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Mix beans into your sauce.
- Preheat your oven to 375 F degrees. Grease your casserole dish.
- While your sauce is simmering cook your rigatoni in a large pot of boiling, salted water. Cook pasta until Al Dente or a minute or two less than what the box says. Before draining pasta reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Return drained pasta to pot adding reserved cooking liquid, Swiss chard and pour in sauce.
- Give a good stir and pour into a greased 10 cup casserole baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella & Parmesan cheese.
- Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 5-10 until top is bubbling and browned. Scoop into individual dishes and drizzle with olive oil.
I’m really surprised at the combination of flavours and how good this dish is. A keeper!
Always looking for new pasta dishes to make for the family. We are making this on the weekend, can’t wait!
I’m going to try this using whole wheat pasta. Thanks for the recipe!
I’ve never cooked with swiss chard before but your recipe sounds so good, I’m going to try it!
My family and I really enjoyed this meal! They are already requesting it again!
We grow Swiss Chard in our garden every year, and I love cooking with it! We made this pasta with shop-bought chard (unfortunately it’s not in season here in the UK at the moment) and loved it! Cannot wait to make it again with my own chard!
Now this is my kind of comfort food. My kids really enjoyed it too.
This is the ultimate comfort food! The entire family loves this meal!
Such a filling and delicious sausage pasta recipe. The kids loved it.
This pasta with sausage and Swiss chard looks delicious! Will be great for supper served with a simple salad.