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This spicy tomato and sausage rigatoni from Viva’s Vegan Recipe Club is classic comfort food made plant-based. The “sausage” is vegan, giving the dish the same flavor and texture as the original without any meat. Meanwhile, the rigatoni, a ridged tube-shaped pasta, holds onto the creamy tomato sauce and makes every bite full of flavor.
The sauce itself combines tomatoes, vegan cream, and sun-dried tomato paste for richness, while garlic, smoked paprika, and chili flakes add depth and heat. Including nutritional yeast gives a hint of cheesiness, and the fresh basil adds a fragrant finish. The dish is creamy and pleasantly spicy.
Read more: Vegan Mushroom Calzone
Enjoy it on a weeknight with garlic bread or salad, and make sure to prepare extra for the next day, as the flavors deepen beautifully after resting overnight. The recipe can also easily be made gluten-free by swapping the pasta and sausages for options without wheat.
This recipe was republished with permission from Viva’s Vegan Recipe Club, and you can find the original recipe here.
How to make the spicy tomato and sausage rigatoni
Ingredients
- 8 vegan sausages fry according to the packet, leave to cool then cut into bite-sized pieces (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 red onion finely diced (use pre-chopped if short of time)
- 1 tsp brown sugar or syrup e.g. maple or agave
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped (use pre-chopped if short of time)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tsp Italian herbs
- ½-1 tsp chili flakes optional – if you like a bit of heat
- 4 tsp sun-dried tomato paste
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 250 ml/1 cup vegan cream use gluten-free if needed
- 250 ml/1 cup vegan stock use 2 vegan stock cubes – use gluten-free if needed
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast you can find this in most large supermarkets, health food shops and online
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 300 g rigatoni pasta cooked according to the instructions on the packet (use gluten-free if needed)
- 2 handfuls of fresh basil leaves roughly torn
- Vegan Parmesan optional
Instructions
- While the vegan sausages are cooking, make the sauce.
- Using a large frying pan or wok, fry the onion in a little oil for 5 minutes.
- Add the sugar and fry until caramelised, stirring frequently.
- Stir through the garlic and heat for a further 2 minutes.
- Combine the smoked paprika, Italian herbs and chilli flakes and heat for another 2 minutes.
- Add the sun-dried tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, vegan cream, stock, nutritional yeast and cooked/chopped vegan sausages. Bring to the boil then simmer for around 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency, stirring frequently.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta.
- Once cooked, drain the pasta and then add the pasta to the sauce.
- Sprinkle over the fresh basil and vegan Parmesan (if using) and serve.
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