This One-Pot Creamy Rigatoni Recipe is made with tender rigatoni pasta, ground turkey, fresh veggies, and savory seasonings tossed in a delightful vodka tomato sauce for an easy dinner that will satisfy the whole family. With minimal prep time, a quick cook time, and a total time of less than 30 minutes, it’s the perfect comforting weeknight dinner. Top it off with fresh basil and some shaved Parmesan cheese, and dinner is ready!
This post was created in partnership with Primal Kitchen.
Recipe Highlights: Rigatoni Recipe
There’s a lot to love about this creamy rigatoni pasta recipe including:
- A healthful comfort food dinner full of protein, fiber, vitamins, and nutrients such as vitamin A and vitamin C
- Naturally dairy-free and gluten-free-friendly
- Cooks in a single large pot such as a Dutch oven or a very large skillet for minimal prep time and easy clean-up
- Great to prepare in advance and reheat when you’re ready to eat
- Avocado oil infuses a rich flavor and healthy fats
- The use of pre-made pasta sauce makes it easy to assemble, cutting down on prep time and cook time while guaranteeing your pasta dish always has amazing flavor
Ingredients To Make One-Pot Creamy Rigatoni
Here’s what you’ll need to make this rigatoni recipe today:
- Avocado oil – we love Primal Kitchen avocado oil as a quality-tested, premium oil to add flavor and good fats. May sub olive oil
- Ground turkey – may sub ground beef or ground sausage, or use ground Italian sausage and omit the additional spices
- Garlic cloves
- Seasonings – you’ll need Italian seasoning, crushed fennel, ground sage, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes
- Zucchini
- Rigatoni pasta – use gluten-free, if needed. Or, feel free to substitute any other small, tubular noodle shape such as ziti or penne
- Vodka sauce – we love to use Primal Kitchen No-Dairy Vodka Sauce in this recipe. May sub a 24-ounce jar of pasta sauce, such as Primal Kitchen Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce and then add in 1/4 cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- Water – may sub low-sodium chicken broth
- Fresh spinach
- Garnishes – fresh basil and shaved Parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese for a little extra calcium
For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing kcals, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium, and more per serving.
How to Make This Skillet Rigatoni Recipe
Unlike baked rigatoni recipes, this quick stovetop dish comes together with simple ingredients in a single pan with no baking dish required. You don’t even have to drain pasta water!
- Cook the turkey: Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey, garlic, and seasonings. Sauté and stir until the turkey is cooked through and crumbled. It’s not necessary to drain excess liquid from the pan.
- Cook the pasta: Add the zucchini, uncooked pasta, vodka sauce, and the water or broth. Stir the ingredients in the pan, making sure the pasta is covered with the sauce. Cover the pot, and cook the pasta until it is al dente, stirring once or twice.
- Add the spinach: Stir in the spinach until it wilts. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm with garnishes, if using.
What Side Dishes Go with Rigatoni?
This One-Pot Creamy Rigatoni Recipe pairs wonderfully with a variety of fresh side dish recipes. We love to pair it with a Copycat Olive Garden Salad for a restaurant-inspired meal at home. And you can never go wrong with a side of garlic bread or Gluten-Free Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.
More Italian-Inspired Recipes To Try
Make it Gluten-Free
Use gluten free rigatoni. As Registered Dietitians, we recommend using a gluten-free lentil or chickpea pasta for a boost of fiber, protein, and nutrition.
Make it Dairy-Free
Since the Primal Kitchen Vodka sauce is dairy-free, simply omit the Parmesan cheese garnish to make this recipe 100% dairy-free.
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Easy Rigatoni Recipe (Creamy and Gluten Free Option)
This 30-minute recipe is satisfying in every way and includes well-rounded nutrition in a family-favorite pasta dinner. Make it right on the stovetop in one pan for convenience and easy clean up, too.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (we like Primal Kitchen Avocado Oil)
- 1 lb ground turkey (may substitute ground beef or ground sausage, or use ground Italian sausage and omit the spices below)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced (1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
- ¼ teaspoon ground sage
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into half-moons
- 8 oz rigatoni pasta (use gluten-free, if needed)
- 1 23- to 24-oz jar vodka sauce (we like Primal Kitchen No Dairy Vodka Sauce)*
- 2 cups water or chicken broth
- 3 oz fresh spinach (2 large handfuls)
- Optional garnish: Fresh basil, shaved fresh Parmesan (omit for dairy-free)
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven or very large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil. When hot, add the ground turkey, garlic, and all of the seasonings (Italian seasoning through crushed red pepper). Cook and stir until the turkey is cooked through and crumbled, 6-8 minutes. If there is excess liquid, it’s not necessary to drain the pan.
- With the heat still on medium-high, add the zucchini, uncooked pasta, vodka sauce, and the liquid (water or broth). TIP: After adding the vodka sauce to the saucepan, pour the 2 cups water or broth into the empty jar and swirl it around to get out any last bits of the pasta sauce, then pour that into the saucepan)**.
- Stir the ingredients in the saucepan so that the pasta is covered with the sauce, then cover the pot and cook for 10-15 minutes, removing the lid to stir the ingredients once or twice.
- After 10 minutes, test a pasta piece to check if it is cooked to your desired doneness. If not, re-cover the pot and cook a few more minutes, as needed.
- When the pasta is cooked to desired doneness, remove the lid and stir in the spinach until it is wilted, about 1 minute.
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Notes
Use code REALFOOD20 to save 20% on all Primal Kitchen products (these are our favorites). For this recipe, we recommend using the Primal Kitchen No-Dairy Vodka Sauce.
*May sub 1 (24-oz ounce) jar of regular pasta sauce plus ¼ cup half-and-half or heavy cream for the vodka sauce (not dairy free).
**Primal Kitchen pasta jars have a convenient measure built into the side of the jar. Use that to measure 2 cups of liquid by adding the broth or water directly to the jar, shaking it to get all the pasta sauce still left on the inside of the jar, then pour it all back into the saucepan.
If using gluten-free pasta, you may need to reduce the pasta cooking time to 6 minutes (taste test at 5 minutes and adjust timing until pasta is cooked to desired doneness). We tested with Banza gluten-free rigatoni, and it was al dente at the 6- to 7-minute mark.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe (about 1 1/2 cups)
- Calories: 380
- Fat: 16 g
- (Sat Fat: 3 g)
- Sodium: 577 mg
- Carbohydrate: 35 g
- (Fiber: 4 g
- Sugar: 7 g)
- Protein: 22 g
- Cholesterol: 53 mg
Dietary
Frequently Asked Questions
Rigatoni noodles work well in baked pasta recipes or one-pot pasta dishes like this rigatoni recipe. Or, simply cook it according to package directions, and toss it with a meat sauce, your favorite pasta sauce, or a drizzle of oil and crushed tomatoes.
Rigatoni is larger and wider than penne and has ridges on the outside. Meanwhile, penne is smaller in size and has a diagonal cut at both ends with a smooth texture.
Traditional rigatoni pasta is not gluten-free as it is made with semolina flour and durum wheat flour, both of which contain gluten.
Once cooked and cooled, leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Or, store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.
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Really tasty! Couldn’t find chickpea rigatoni but we used chickpea penne instead. Not quite as good as our local Italian place’s rigatoni bolognese but still delicious!
We used ground Italian sausage instead of ground turkey and seasonings and this recipe was world-class! By far our favorite RFD recipe (and we love a lot of them). This meal is restaurant worthy! So great to have a hearty, creamy, pasta that is made with whole food ingredients. Absolutely loved it!
Fabulous Alyssa! Thanks so much for sharing this feedback with us. We appreciate the 5-star review!
Can this be frozen? I want to make this when my kids come for a visit. If not, will it still be as great if I make it a day or two ahead? Love your recipes! Because of health reasons I must eat very healthy and your sight has been a life saver. Many “healthy” recipes are bland but yours are very tasty. Thank you.
Hey Linda! Your kids will love this one! Once cooked and cooled, leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for up to 3-5 days. Or, store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thanks for reaching out!
I followed the recipe exactly as stated. It was very easy to prepare! The flavor was very tasty with just the right amount of spices.
I did use the Banza gluten free rigatoni but slightly overcooked them because they started to fall apart when I was stirring up the dish.
I would definitely make again but maybe with a different pasta.
Sounds good Mary! Thanks for the feedback and 5-star review!