Description
Creamy Sausage Pasta is a comforting and hearty meal featuring perfectly cooked Italian sausage nestled in a luscious, creamy sauce with Parmesan, fresh spinach, and cherry tomatoes, all tossed with your favorite pasta. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s an ideal weeknight dinner that combines rich flavors with fresh ingredients for a deliciously satisfying dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz pasta (such as penne or fettuccine)
Meat
- 1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, as preferred)
Vegetables and Herbs
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Dairy
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Liquids and Oils
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
Seasonings
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of the pasta water for later use.
- Cook Sausage: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, crumbling it as it cooks. Continue cooking until the sausage is browned and fully cooked through. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Onion: In the same skillet, add the finely chopped onion and sauté for about 3-4 minutes until translucent and softened.
- Add Garlic: Add minced garlic to the onions and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
- Deglaze Skillet: Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. This will add flavor to the sauce.
- Add Cream and Simmer: Reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Allow the mixture to simmer gently for 2-3 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Melt Cheese into Sauce: Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy with the cheese melted completely.
- Add Vegetables: Toss in the halved cherry tomatoes and fresh spinach leaves. Cook until the spinach just begins to wilt.
- Combine Sausage: Return the cooked sausage to the skillet and stir everything together to combine flavors.
- Toss Pasta in Sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat evenly with the creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add the reserved pasta water, one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Season: Season the dish with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, adjusting as needed.
- Garnish and Serve: Finish by garnishing with freshly chopped parsley before serving for a fresh, herbal note.
Notes
- If you prefer a spicier dish, use spicy Italian sausage instead of sweet.
- You can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter sauce, but the sauce will be less rich.
- Reserve pasta water is key to adjusting sauce consistency without diluting flavor.
- Feel free to add other vegetables like mushrooms or bell peppers for more variety.
- To make it gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta.
