A creamy, zesty pasta recipe is something everyone needs for busy days and cozy weekends. Italian sausage pasta is a family favorite and easy to make in 30 minutes!
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Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
This simple Italian sausage pasta is the perfect comfort food for weeknight dinners or casual entertaining! It comes together quickly and tastes like it’s straight out of an Italian restaurant. Other cozy favorites include this Italian sausage tortellini soup and creamy rigatoni pasta.
Made with savory Italian sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes, and a creamy sauce, this dish balances smoky, hearty, and creamy in every bite. Whenever you’re craving a warm, hearty meal, pasta with sausage is always a good choice!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- A (semi) one-pan meal that comes together in no time!
- Perfectly flavorful with customizable ingredients.
Ingredients Notes
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Uncooked penne noodles: These cook while the sauce is being made, so everything comes together at the end.
- Italian sausage: Use mild or spicy, whichever you prefer.
- Chicken broth: Homemade chicken broth or store-bought works here. It’s the base of the sauce and cooks the pasta as it absorbs all that flavor.
- Fire-roasted tomatoes: For depth and a subtle charred sweetness.
- Heavy whipping cream: Needed to make the sauce nice and creamy!
- You’ll also need diced onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- For serving: Fresh basil and Parmesan cheese.
How to Make Italian Sausage Pasta
Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. While the pasta cooks, remove the casings from the Italian sausage and crumble it into a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes, then drain any grease and set the sausage aside.
In the same skillet, sauté the diced onions over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the broth and flour, scraping up any browned bits, and cook for about 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, Italian seasoning, cream, and cooked sausage. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, then season with salt and pepper. Toss with the cooked pasta and serve with fresh basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan.
Recipe Tips
- Salt your pasta water for extra flavor. Salted water also boils faster!
- Reserve pasta water. You probably won’t need it, but it’s always good to keep about 1 cup set aside just in case you need to thin out your sauce.
- Don’t skip the deglaze! Scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan adds flavor to the dish.
- Want a spicy sausage pasta? Use hot Italian sausage or add red pepper flakes to your sauce.
More recipes with sausage and pasta include Italian sausage soup with spinach and pasta, sausage tortellini soup and easy lasagna soup Rrcipe.
More Pasta Recipes
Italian Sausage Pasta
Video
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked penne noodles
- 11 ounces Italian sausage
- ½ cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ½ Tablespoon flour
- 1 (14 ounces) can fire roasted tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- salt and pepper
For serving: fresh basil and parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Boil noodles: Cook 8 ounces penne noodles in a large pot of boiling water, as instructed on package.
- Cook sausage: Meanwhile, remove casings from the Italian sausage. Crumble sausage while you cook it in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook uuntil browned, about 5 minutes. Drain grease and remove sausage from skillet.
- Sauté onions and garlic: In same skillet (without meat), sauté ½ cup diced onions for about 5 minutes, over medium heat, until onions are soft. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and cook one more minute. Add ½ cup broth and whisk in ½ Tablespoon flour. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the broth is reduced.
- Make sauce: Add 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ cup cream and the cooked sausage. Stir and cook for a few minutes, or until it's thickened a little. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve: Pour sauce over cooked pasta and serve with fresh basil and parmesan, if desired.
Last step: Please leave a comment and rating after you make the recipe.
Notes
Storage: To store leftovers, put in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Substitutions and Variations
- Heavy whipping cream or heavy cream works best for the best creaminess. However, whole milk or 2% can work in a pinch. Nothing less than that!
- Swap the fresh basil for fresh parsley if preferred.
- Can’t find fire-roasted tomatoes? Regular diced tomatoes work just fine. You can also use a bit of tomato sauce instead. Along with the cream, you’ll make a simplified version of a pink pasta sauce.
- Use whatever pasta noodles you have. Fusilli, rotini, rigatoni, or bowtie pasta are all great options.
Recipe FAQs
Keep any leftover Italian sausage pasta covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I don’t recommend it. The cream sauce will have a funny texture once it’s thawed.
A small bowl of pasta can be reheated in the microwave. If you’re reheating more than that, toss it in a skillet and reheat it over medium heat on the stove. Add a splash of broth or cream to loosen up the sauce as it warms through.
Karen M
This was delicious!!! My husband is Italian and usually only likes tomato sauce spaghetti, but he loved this. I didn’t have fire roasted tomatoes but I had regular diced tomatoes and it was still delicious. This will be on my regular menu now. Thank you
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So glad you loved the Italian sausage pasta!
Alisha
Delicious! A hit with the whole family! – Alisha, recipe tester
Sarah @IHeartNaptime
So glad your family loved the Italian sausage pasta!