Italian sausage, colorful peppers and rigatoni get a fiery upgrade from Olive Garden’s rich, creamy Calabrian chile sauce.
Photo by SCRR
Copycat Olive Garden Spicy Sausage & Peppers Rigatoni
Olive Garden Spicy Sausage & Peppers Rigatoni combines sliced Italian sausage, mixed bell peppers and rigatoni with spicy Calabrian cream sauce and Italian cheeses.
Brown the sausage and peppers before starting the sauce so they develop plenty of flavor. Calabrian chile paste gives the sauce its distinctive fruity heat, but a simple substitute is included when the real thing is hard to find.
Quick Recipe Overview
- Best For: Hearty pasta dinners, Olive Garden nights at home and anyone who likes a little heat
- Flavor Profile: Savory Italian sausage, sweet peppers, rich cream, melted cheese and fruity Calabrian chile heat
- Skill Level: Easy to moderate
- What Makes It Like the Restaurant: Sliced Italian sausage and mixed peppers tossed with rigatoni in a creamy Calabrian chile sauce and finished with Italian cheeses
Olive Garden
Olive Garden opened its first restaurant in Orlando, Florida on December 13, 1982. The concept grew around approachable Italian-inspired food served generously in a casual, family-friendly setting.
Pasta quickly became central to the brand, joined by familiar favorites such as soup, salad and breadsticks. Over the years, Olive Garden has regularly used new pasta shapes, sauces and proteins to expand beyond its longtime classics without straying far from the comforting dishes guests expect.
Spicy Sausage & Peppers Rigatoni follows that tradition, taking the familiar combination of Italian sausage and pasta in a noticeably hotter direction.
Olive Garden Turns Up the Heat
Spicy Sausage & Peppers Rigatoni first appeared as a Limited Time Offer in 2026 as part of Olive Garden’s Calabrian-inspired menu.
The restaurant pairs sliced Italian sausage and crisp mixed peppers with sturdy rigatoni, then tosses everything in its spicy Calabrian cream sauce and finishes the pasta with a blend of Italian cheeses.
Calabrian chiles bring more than simple heat. Their fruity, slightly smoky character works especially well with rich dairy, savory sausage and sweet bell peppers, giving the sauce warmth without turning the dish into a chile challenge.
Olive Garden Spicy Sausage & Peppers Rigatoni Recipe
Olive Garden Spicy Sausage & Peppers Rigatoni combines sliced Italian sausage, colorful bell peppers and rigatoni pasta in a rich Calabrian chile cream sauce topped with Italian cheeses.
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients
Pasta and Sausage
- 12 ounces Rigatoni Pasta
- 1 pound Mild Italian Sausage Links
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 large Red Bell Pepper sliced
- 1/2 large Yellow Bell Pepper sliced
- 1/2 large Green Bell Pepper sliced
Calabrian Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 3 Garlic Cloves finely minced
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Calabrian Chile Paste to taste
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Romano Cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
For Finishing
- 1/2 cup shredded Italian Cheese Blend
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook rigatoni until just al dente according to package directions.
- Reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- Drain pasta and set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add sausage links.
- Cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through.
- Transfer sausage to a cutting board.
- Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice into 1/2-inch rounds.
- Add bell peppers to the same skillet.
- Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned but still slightly crisp.
- Transfer peppers to the plate with the sausage.
- Reduce heat to medium-low.
- Add butter to the skillet.
- Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in Calabrian chile paste.
- Cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add heavy cream and chicken broth.
- Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to low.
- Stir in Parmesan and Romano until melted and smooth.
- Season with salt and black pepper.
- Add rigatoni, sausage and peppers to the sauce.
- Toss gently until everything is well coated and heated through.
- Add a splash of reserved pasta water if the sauce becomes too thick.
- Divide among serving bowls.
- Top with Italian cheese blend and additional Parmesan.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Calabrian chile paste varies considerably in heat. Start with 1 tablespoon and increase it after tasting the sauce.
- If Calabrian chile paste is unavailable, substitute 1 tablespoon Sambal Oelek mixed with 1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika. It will not taste identical, but it provides a useful combination of red chile heat and mild smokiness.
Related Copycat Recipes
- Romano’s Macaroni Grill Pasta Milano – Rich, silky pasta dish that feels indulgent, cozy, and restaurant-polished
- Olive Garden Spaghetti Carbonara – Creamy pasta tossed with bacon, cheese, and rich, comforting sauce
- Buca di Beppo Lasagna – Hearty, cheesy lasagna layered with rich sauce and classic Italian comfort
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Questions People Ask
What makes the rigatoni spicy?
The heat comes from the Calabrian chile used in the creamy sauce.
What are Calabrian chiles?
They are Italian red chiles prized for their fruity flavor and moderate heat, often sold chopped or blended into a paste.
Can I make the dish less spicy?
Yes. Start with half the Calabrian chile paste and add more only after tasting the finished sauce.
Can I use bulk Italian sausage?
Yes, but sausage links sliced into rounds more closely reproduce the restaurant presentation.
What can replace Calabrian chile paste?
Sambal oelek mixed with a little smoked paprika makes a practical supermarket substitute when Calabrian chiles are unavailable.
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Photo of “Olive Garden Spicy Sausage & Peppers Rigatoni” created by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes. Photo of “Olive Garden August 7, 2022” is by David Saddler and is used by permission under the Attribution 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License. Read the Full License Here – https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/legalcode.en. Thank you, David. Great Picture. Photos may be representative of the recipe and not the actual finished dish. All photo licenses listed were correct at the time of the posting of the page. Recipe is original to Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes. Recipe created by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes based on information from the restaurant and other sources on the internet – many courtesy of the Wayback Machine. Additional Information is from original research done by Secret Copycat Restaurant Recipes and/or courtesy of Wikipedia and is used by permission.
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