Creamy Sausage Pasta

Enjoy this comforting, creamy sausage pasta with Italian sausage and your favorite pasta smothered in a decadent garlic-Parmesan sauce. This 20-minute restaurant-quality dinner is going to be an instant family favorite.

Creamy sausage pasta in a stainless steel skillet.Creamy sausage pasta in a stainless steel skillet.

Today we’re making a warm bowl of creamy sausage pasta for some feel-good comfort food. Choose between sweet, mild, or hot Italian sausage and your favorite kind of pasta to pair with a rich cream sauce. I used spinach to add a splash of green to the meal but if you’re not a fan, swap it out with peas, sun-dried tomatoes, or mushrooms.

This meal will taste like you simmered it lovingly and slaved over a stove all day but has simple, pantry staples and is ready in 20 minutes. Serve it with some garlic bread or garlic knots. For more creamy pasta dishes, try out Tuscan chicken pasta, lemon pepper chicken Alfredo pasta, salmon pasta with spinach, or this sun-dried tomato and spinach pasta. Let’s start cooking.

Close up of creamy sausage pasta in a skillet.Close up of creamy sausage pasta in a skillet.

CREAMY SAUSAGE PASTA RECIPE TIPS

Skillet – You’ll need at least a 12″ stainless steel skillet to fit everything in. If you want more room to toss things around and don’t want to fuss with space, try using a Dutch oven.

Italian sausage – I used mild ground Italian sausage but feel free to substitute it with sweet or hot Italian sausage. You can also use Italian sausage rounds instead of ground Italian sausage. A meat smasher comes in really handy to break up any clumps in the meat.

Browning – You don’t need any oil while browning the ground sausage, it will render its own fat which you can pan-fry it in. If you like crunchy browned bits in your meat, cook the sausage a little longer till some of the meat is crisp and golden around the edges. Make sure to drain the pan fully of any excess grease so you don’t wind up with pools of grease in your lovely cream sauce.

Two servings of creamy sausage pasta on cream colored plates.Two servings of creamy sausage pasta on cream colored plates.

Pasta – I used penne pasta but any kind of tubular pasta will work just as well. You can also use bowties, fusilli, corkscrews, shells, elbows, or long pasta like spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine and angel hair. This should also work with gnocchi and ravioli.

Onions and garlic – Feel free to substitute fresh onions and garlic with onion and garlic powder.

Wine – Skip the wine and use chicken broth to make this kid-friendly.

Spinach– I use baby spinach but if you’re not a fan, you can leave it out or substitute it with fresh basil or one of the other veggie suggestions below.

Reheating – This can be reheated over the stovetop or in the microwave. Add some milk and stir to incorporate it while reheating to bring back some creaminess.

Close up of creamy sausage pasta on a plate topped with fresh parsley and cracked black pepper.Close up of creamy sausage pasta on a plate topped with fresh parsley and cracked black pepper.

Make It Your Own

Veggies – Swap out spinach with other veggies like peas, sun-dried tomatoes, or mushrooms.

Make it richer – For a richer, Alfredo-like sauce, add more grated Parmesan cheese.

Add some spice – Add a few dashes of red pepper flakes for some heat.

And that’s about it. Enjoy your bowl of comforting pasta and let me know of any substitutions you made in the comments below!

MORE CREAMY PASTA RECIPES TO TRY

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Description

Enjoy this comforting, creamy sausage pasta with Italian sausage and your favorite pasta smothered in a decadent garlic-Parmesan sauce.


  • 1 lb. ground Italian sausage
  • 1 lb. penne pasta
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, minced
  • 34 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup chicken broth / dry white wine
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 3 oz. fresh baby spinach, tightly packed (about 3 cups)

  1. Cook the pasta in a pot of salted water according to the package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Over medium heat, brown the sausage in a large skillet, about 5 minutes. Break up any clumps, remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside. Drain any excess grease from the pan.
  3. Melt butter in the pan and saute onions until soft.
  4. Add in the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds then return sausage to the pan.
  5. Reduce heat to medium-low then pour in the heavy cream, chicken broth/white wine and season with Italian seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Bring to a gentle boil, add in Parmesan cheese and stir until the cheese melts smoothly into the sauce.
  7. Turn heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
  8. Add baby spinach and stir until the spinach has wilted.
  9. Add cooked pasta and toss until pasta is fully coated in the sauce.
  10. Dish and serve hot.
  11. Enjoy!
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins

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