This delicious 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 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. This hearty pasta is a complete meal, but if guests are coming, I like to serve it with Italian chopped salad or cucumber tomato salad and garlic cheese bread.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Italian sausage: sweet, mild, or even hot if that is your thing
- Pasta: Several medium pasta shapes will work with this dish, including ziti, rotini, elbow, medium shells, cavatappi, and penne pasta.
- Chicken broth: preferably low-sodium
- Parmesan cheese: freshly grated for the optimal taste
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 the 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.
Reduce 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
- Use a spoon to break up the Italian sausage so you have some small and 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
- ½ cup chicken broth low sodium
- 1¼ 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
- 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.
Nutrition
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https://www.smalltownwoman.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Beth-1.pdf
Janice
My family loved it! Even my picky 5 year old asked for seconds.
We didn’t leave it to reduce as long as we probably should have but just added some extra parm to help it thicken faster. It was excellent.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Janice! So happy that your family liked! Nothing wrong with a little extra Parmesan Cheese!
Sandy
Keto version for me…i made the sauce as written but cut tomato amount in half one time then used fresh cherry tomatoes the next. Both good. Served it with spaghetti squash in place of pasta. Thank u small town woman
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome. So glad that you liked it and were able to adapt to keto.
Chelsea
Is there an alternative I can use aside from the whipping cream? Oatmilk maybe?
Beth Pierce
No, sorry whipping cream thickens the sauce.
Brandy
We used cocunut cream instead of heavy cream.
Ntensibe
Whew! I never say this enough but no kind of pasta ever beats this one, to me! Ever since I first tasted it when I was very little, I’ve never looked back or regretted it! I love it.
Michele
This looks amazing. I will be making this for dinner tonight. we have been looking for some new recipes to make.
Bryan
This was a hit with me! I love pasta dishes and this one had just the right amount of contributions from different food groups. Next time I am adding a little spinach.
Jackie
I’ve added spinach it’s really good!! I also.put in fresh tomatoes after cooking because my family doesn’t like sundried tomatoes .
brianne
This is one of my favorites of all your recipes! I will definitely make this again.
Tweenselmom
This Italian sausage pasta was amazing! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Vanessa
This is exactly the kind of dish I love to make for the family. It can feed us for a couple of days, it’s easy, and it’s delicious.
Mary
Made this tonight. Outstanding. Hubby said definitely a keeper, and daughter stopped by tried some and asked for the recipe. Definitely making again. Highly recommend this dish. So easy to make. Thank you for sharing. I’m 73 and love trying new recipes.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much Mary! So glad that family liked it. I love cooking too!