Easy cheesy Italian Sausage Pasta is creamy, delicious and perfectly spiced. It’s a family favorite ready in only 20 minutes!
Italian sausage adds the perfect flavor to any pasta dish. We like this Italian Sausage Pasta so much, we’ve tried it with penne pasta, and even with tortellini in a soup!
Sausage pasta is delish!
This next recipe is one I have loved for a loooong time. My friend made it for us just after I had my first baby. It was so delicious and the exact comfort food I needed!
I LOVED this Italian Sausage Pasta so much and was so excited to give it a try myself.
We have been long-time fans of pasta, as well as long-time fans of sausage. Not sure why we didn’t think of combining the two for some dinner ideas. We also love that it is really simple and doesn’t require a ton of work, which is perfect for busy families.
We are usually making some sort of pasta dish each week, so we’ve added this into the rotation and it’s one the whole family will eat! 😀
Ready in 20 minutes
Like I said – this recipe is SO EASY!! If you cook the pasta and the sausage at the same time, it really only takes about 20 minutes to throw everything together. Perfect for busy weeknights!
PASTA. Cook pasta according to package directions.
SAUSAGE. In a separate pan, cook the sausage, garlic, onion, and pepper flakes over medium heat for 4-5 minutes or until meat is no longer pink; drain.
SAUCE. Stir in the tomatoes, cream, salt, basil and ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
SERVE. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; toss with sausage mixture. Garnish with parmesan cheese. And ENJOY!
We have never tried this without the sausage, but we think it would be great on its own without the meat. Here are some more variations.
What to serve with your pasta
So many options, but here are some of our favs:
- Fried Zucchini
- Cheesy Garlic Bread
- Ultimate Chicken Caesar Salad
- Easy Garlic Knots
- Olive Garden Copycat Breadsticks
Pasta Variations
- Sausage substitutions. Instead of using mild Italian sausage you can use ground sausage, chicken sausage, turkey sausage, spicy sausage. You can even exchange the sausage for ground beef.
- Veggies. Add veggies such as zucchini, bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach
- Cheese. Substitute the Parmesan with mozzarella, or a blend of provolone, fontina, Romano, and asiago
- Pasta substitutions. Substitute pasta with White Rice, Cauliflower Rice, Mashed Potatoes or Baked Potatoes. Add cubed potatoes.
How to store
STORE leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave, oven or in a skillet on the stove. The pasta may have absorbed some of the liquid leaving it dried out. Feel free to add a bit more cream before heating.
FREEZE. I would recommend freezing the sauce without the pasta. Once the sauce has thickened allow it to cool before pouring it in an airtight freezer safe container. Freeze for up to 4 months.
Thaw and heat on the stove top over LOW heat stirring constantly. Add a small amount of cream as needed to revitalize the sauce. Cook noodles and serve.
For more pasta dishes, check out:
- Chicken Alfredo Bake
- Garlic Penne Pasta
- Garlic Tortellini Pasta
- Baked Macaroni and Cheese
- Pasta Primavera
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Sausage Penne Pasta
Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce) package bow tie pasta
- 1 pound mild Italian sausage
- ½ cup chopped onion optional
- 1½ teaspoons minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans Italian stewed tomatoes drained and chopped
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese divided
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, onion, garlic and pepper flakes, stirring, for 4–5 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
- Stir in tomatoes, cream, salt, basil, and ½ cup Parmesan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes or until thickened.
- Add pasta to sausage mixture and toss.
- Garnish with remaining ½ cup Parmesan before serving.
Looking forward to trying this recipe. Any suggestion on tomato substitute
I hope you enjoy it & can find something to use instead of the tomatoes. I haven’t tried it with anything else, but you could try another veggie? It will taste a little different.