This sausage pasta has spicy Italian sausage and bowtie pasta smothered in a yummy creamy sauce, making one of those easy dinner ideas ideal for busy weeknights. My family loves it!
Table of Contents
How To Make Sausage Pasta
- BROWN THE ITALIAN SAUSAGE: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and lightly brown the sausage on both sides, about 4-6 minutes. PIC. 1 Remove excess oil!
- COOK THE VEGGIES: Reduce the heat to medium and sweat the diced onions for about 3 minutes, occasionally stirring (don't let them brown). PIC. 2 Add the garlic and let cook for about 1 minute, stirring once and a while. PIC. 3
- ADD INGREDIENTS: Stir in the Italian seasoning for about 10 seconds and add the broth while stirring to scrape the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce and the salt, then add the pasta. If you enjoy spicy foods or are adding a mild sausage, add a pinch of red pepper flakes! PICS. 4 & 5
- COOK THE PASTA WITH SAUSAGE: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for about 13-15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Make sure to stir gently once in a while to prevent the pasta from sticking. If needed, add some extra broth or water (just enough for the pasta to cook). PIC. 6
- Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream and cream cheese if you want. Stir until creamy and homogeneous (and without chunks of cream cheese). Adjust the salt! PIC. 7
- GARNISH: Let the pasta sit for 2-3 minutes for the cream to heat through and the sauce to thicken. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese and parsley on top and serve. PIC. 8
Ingredients and Substitutions
You will need the following ingredients to make this creamy pasta dish:
For the ITALIAN Sausage Pasta:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb of your favorite hot or spicy Italian sausage, sliced. Or you can replace it with chorizo, bratwurst, linguiça (mildly spicy pork sausage from Portugal), or andouille. If you are not a fan of heat, use a mild sausage!
- 1 large yellow onion, small diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups chunky tomato sauce (I used Ragú® Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion Sauce, or marinara sauce)
- 1 teaspoon salt, or more if desired
- 12 oz dry bowtie or farfalle pasta ( or pasta shells, orecchiette, mini penne, or mezzi rigatoni instead, or gluten-free pasta)
- ⅓ cup of heavy cream (TIP: For a creamier pasta, add also 4 oz of room temperature cream cheese, cut into chunks)
Toppings:
- Grated Parmesan cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (or fresh basil)
Types of Italian Sausage
Italian sausage is a pork sausage, fresh or uncured in most cases, seasoned with fennel as the main ingredient plus garlic, anise, coriander, pepper, and other spices.
There are 3 kinds: Hot, Mild, and Sweet
All 3 types are made with the same ingredients, except the hot kind has an extra ingredient, Calabrian chile pepper or hot red pepper flakes while the sweet type has sweet basil which differentiates them from the mild sausage.
The spicy Italian sausage is the best in my opinion because it is more flavorful or has a kick!
FAQs
In my experience, the best way to cook Italian sausage for pasta is to slice the sausage into rounds and heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Next, add olive oil and lightly brown the sausage on both sides until golden brown, about 4-6 minutes. Then remove excess oil, add the pasta sauce, cover with a lid, and simmer until the sausage is tender.
Chorizo (Mexican or Spanish sausage), bratwurst (German), and andouille (French and Cajun) make great subs for hot Italian sausage. They don't contain the same ingredients as a spicy Italian sausage and don't taste the same but they are still suitable spicy substitutes. Alternatively, you can replace hot Italian sausage with mild Italian sausage and add red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
Variations
You can vary some ingredients to make this pasta recipe different every time as follows:
- Pasta: Use use pasta shells, orecchiette, mini penne, or mezzi rigatoni instead of bowtie pasta. Even spaghetti or fettuccini would be a good choice because any of these pasta go well with light creamy sauces.
- Sausage: You can use just about any sausage you enjoy. For spicy sausages, linguiça, andouille sausage, chorizo, and bratwurst are great for this sausage pasta recipe. Or you can use any sweet or mild sausage of your choice. For lower-fat versions, use chicken or turkey Italian sausage.
- Heavy Cream: For a lighter pasta sauce, I prefer to use half and half instead of heavy cream and light creamy cheese to cut down a few calories but the sauce won't be as creamy and rich.
- Add-ons: You may add fresh spinach, kale, or Swiss chard to make this pasta recipe a complete dish. Or you may add some sun-dried tomatoes, peas, mushrooms, or chopped canned artichokes.
Tips for Making Creamy Sausage Pasta
This 30-minute sausage pasta recipe is quick, easy, and uses common ingredients. It's a perfect weeknight meal and tastes as if it came from a restaurant! Here are a few tips to make the best sausage pasta ever:
- Make sure to cook your pasta al dente. This means that the pasta is tender but is still firm enough to hold its shape.
- After stirring in the cream and cream cheese, allow the pasta to sit for about 2-3 minutes so the sauce can thicken.
- For a creamier sauce, add cream cheese to the recipe. Make sure the sauce it is at room temperature and the sauce is homogeneous before adding the pasta.
- For a cheesy sauce, add Parmesan to the sauce itself instead of only serving it on top of the pasta.
- For making a complete pasta dish, add veggies to the pasta.
- After browning the sausage, remove any excess oil so you don't wind up with a greasy cream sauce.
- Brown the sausage until is crisp and golden around the edges.
- Reheat the sausage pasta over low heat on the stovetop or microwave. But add some heavy cream while reheating to loosen the sauce and bring back some creaminess.
Other Italian Pasta Recipes
- Shrimp Carbonara
- Ziti al Forno
- Penne Pomodoro
- Pasta Bolognese
- Mediterranean Pasta
- Shrimp Scampi Pasta
- Spicy Vodka Pasta
PIN AND ENJOY!
BEST Sausage Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pot
- 1 wooden spoon
Ingredients
For the Italian sausage pasta:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or mild vegetable oil
- 1 lb hot or spicy Italian sausage sliced (or you can replace it with chorizo, bratwurst, linguiça, or andouille. If you are not a fan of heat, use a mild sausage. For a lower- fat dish, use turkey or chicken sausage)
- 1 large yellow onion small diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 2 cups chunky tomato sauce I used Ragú® Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion Sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt or more if desired
- 12 oz dry bowtie pasta or you can use pasta shells, orecchiette, mini penne, or mezzi rigatoni instead. For a wholesome pasta dish, use whole wheat pasta. For a low-carb dish, use keto pasta. Make sure to adjust the cooking time!
- ⅓ cup of heavy cream TIP: For a creamier pasta, add also 4 oz of room temperature cream cheese, cut into chunks. For a lighter sauce, use half and half and a light cream cheese.
Toppings:
- Parmesan cheese grated
- 2 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- BROWN THE SAUSAGE: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, and lightly brown the sausage on both sides, about 4-6 minutes. Remove excess oil!
- COOK THE VEGGIES: Reduce the heat to medium and sweat the diced onions for about 3 minutes, occasionally stirring (don't let them brown). Add the garlic and let cook for about 1 minute, stirring once and a while.
- ADD INGREDIENTS AND PASTA: Stir in the Italian seasoning for about 10 seconds and add the broth little by little while stirring to scrape the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce and the salt, then add the pasta. If you enjoy spicy foods or are adding a mild sausage, add a pinch of red pepper flakes!
- COOK THE ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PASTA: Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for about 13-15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Make sure to stir gently once in a while to prevent the pasta from sticking. If needed, add some extra broth or water (just enough for the pasta to cook).
- Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream and cream cheese if you want. Stir until creamy and homogeneous (and there are no chunks of cream cheese). Adjust the salt!
- GARNISH: Let the pasta sit for about 2-3 minutes in order for the cream to heat through and the sauce to thicken. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese and parsley on top and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- You can reheat the dish in the microwave or in a pan, with a few tablespoons of cream to loosen the sauce.
- Freezing is not recommended because it can break the sauce apart. But you can store the cooked pasta (cooked 1-2 minutes before becoming al dente and fully cool) in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month.
- Thaw it in the fridge overnight and then make the rest of the recipe right before serving.
Nutrition
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POST FIRST PUBLISHED ON JUNE 15, 2015.
Mary says
This was really easy and delicious. I used chicken sausage and added spinach and peas.