This scrumptious Italian Sausage Pasta combines rigatoni with sundried tomatoes and spinach in a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce. This easy pasta is one of our favorites and is always a hit with friends and family.
This hearty pasta is a complete meal, but if guests are expected, I like to serve it with Italian chopped salad or cucumber tomato salad and garlic cheese bread.
This easy Italian sausage pasta recipe is perfect for a quick, delicious weeknight dinner. With just a few ingredients and a little effort, you can have a flavorful and comforting pasta dish on the table in no time.
What You’ll Need
- Italian sausage: sweet or mild
- Vegetables: onions, garlic, baby spinach, sun-dried tomatoes
- Seasonings: dried marjoram, black pepper, crushed rosemary, dried thyme, red pepper flakes, and kosher salt
- Pasta: rigatoni, ziti , penne, or rotini
- Chicken broth: low-sodium
- Dairy: heavy cream and Parmesan cheese
How to make Italian Sausage Pasta
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Brown the Italian Sausage in a large skillet. After several minutes, add the onion and continue cooking until the sausage browns and the onions soften. Reduce the heat, add the garlic and other spices, and cook for one minute while stirring. Plate the sausage mixture.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook the pasta al dente according to package instructions, and drain well.
Add the chicken broth to the skillet. Add the heavy cream to the skillet, bring it to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer. Simmer until it reduces by about half.
Turn the heat to low and stir in the parmesan cheese, sundried tomatoes, and spinach. Continue cooking until the cheese melts and the spinach wilts. Add the sausage mixture and cooked pasta to the skillet. Stir to coat and continue cooking over low heat until warm.
Preparation Tips
- Several medium pasta shapes will work with this dish, including ziti, rotini, elbow, medium shells, cavatappi, and penne pasta.
- Use a spoon to break up the Italian sausage so you have some small pieces and a few larger pieces. Variety is good.
- The cream and chicken broth mixture can take up to 20 minutes to reduce, so plan accordingly. Reduce by about 50%.
- For optimal flavor, drain the oil from the sundried tomatoes.
Recipe Variations
- Meat – substitute browned ground beef or turkey. Try grilled chicken, shrimp, or scallops.
- Spicy – kick it up a few notches with some Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, or more crushed red pepper. Try adding minced jalapeno, minced chipotle peppers, or chopped green chilies.
- Veggies – add browned mushrooms, sautéed bell peppers, artichoke hearts, or capers.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Because of the amount of cream, I do not recommend freezing this dish. It would not harm you. It just would not be as tasty or aesthetically appealing.
More Pasta Recipes
Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian Sausage
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed rosemary
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 12 ounces uncooked rigatoni
- 1/2 cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1 1/4 cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes julienne cut packed in oil drained
- 4-5 cups baby spinach
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Start browning the Italian Sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. After 3-4 minutes, add the onion and continue cooking until the sausage is browned and the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic, marjoram, black pepper, rosemary, thyme leaves, and red flakes pepper, cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Plate the sausage mixture and cover it with foil.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain well.
- Add the chicken broth to the skillet working to deglaze the bottom and collect all the brown bits. Add the heavy cream to the skillet. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let it reduce by about half.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the parmesan cheese, sundried tomatoes, and spinach. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted. Add the sausage mixture and pasta to the skillet. Stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking over low heat until the pasta dish is heated through.
Notes
- Several shapes of medium pasta will work with this dish, including ziti, rotini, elbow, medium shells, cavatappi, and penne pasta.
- Use a spoon to break up the Italian sausage so you have some small pieces and a few larger pieces. Variety is good.
- The cream and chicken broth mixture can take up to 20 minutes to reduce, so plan accordingly. Reduce by about 50%.
- For optimal flavor, drain the oil from the sundried tomatoes.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Because of the amount of cream, I do not recommend freezing this dish. It would not harm you. It just would not be as appetizing or aesthetically appealing.
Nutrition
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katerina
Oh yum! This looks incredibly delicious! My family would love it!
Sue
This Italian Sausage Pasta looks absolutely delicious! Yummy!
Amanda
I love anything with Italian sausage in it. I am so excited to try this next week!
Frank
This looks like yummy pasta, I haven’t tried a lot of Italian food recently and would love to try this and make it at home.
Emman Damian
I love a good Italian Sausage Pasta! It looks so yummy! Can’t wait to try it!
Milton Coyne
You can never go wrong with pasta.. I love pasta dishes and what i like about it is that you can be creative and experimental on what ingredients you can pair with it. This italian sausage pasta looks really really good and i love how creamy it looks like.. Thank yoi for sharing us the recipe
Renata
This sounds so delicious. I love these big chunks of sausage in the sauce – and the spinach to make it a bit fresher and healthier. Will try this asap!
kushigalu
Drooling over this delicious pasta. Can’t wait to try your recipe. YUM
Angelica
I make something similar to this for my kids and they love it. I’ll need to try this!
Ashley t
This pasta looks so yummy and simple to make. Definitely gonna try this for my family.
Stephanie
This is such a perfect combination of so many ingredients that we love at our house!
brianne
Something new to try for the family. I love the variations of your recipe. I think I will go with more mushrooms for veggies
Leanne Wong
Oh my. Just looking at that makes me hungry! I can’t wait to try this one!
Matt Taylor
This looks amazing! I love good pasta, especially Italian sausage in it. I can’t wait to give this a try sometime.
Christine Weis
YUM! This looks so delicious! The Italian girl in me loves pasta with meat. This is a must-try!
Talya Stone
Oh yum this looks like the perfect midweek crowd-pleaser for Autumn months. I’ll keep this in my back pocket for the coming weeks.