Creamy Sausage Pasta is packed with tender fettuccine, savory Italian sausage, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and a rich Parmesan cream sauce.
Author’s Notes
A Little Restaurant Throwback
At the restaurant I used to work at, we had a Creamy Tuscan Pasta on the menu that people absolutely loved! It had penne, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, chicken, and the most incredible creamy Parmesan sauce. Truly, that sauce was everything. It was easily one of my favorite things on the entire menu!
I’ve thought about that pasta so many times over the years, so I finally decided to make my own version at home. I switched up the pasta, traded the chicken for Italian sausage, and oh my goodness, it is SO good. Maybe even better than I remember because Italian sausage in a creamy pasta is just hard to beat. I’m obsessed with this one and can’t wait for you to try it!
Creamy Sausage Pasta Ingredients
| Ingredient | Let’s Chat About It |
|---|---|
| Fettuccine | Cook just shy of al dente since it finishes cooking in the sauce. Save some pasta water before draining. |
| Italian sausage & Italian seasoning | Use mild or spicy sausage depending on what you like best! |
| Butter, garlic & chicken broth | After browning the sausage, leave a little of the drippings behind and scrape up all those flavorful browned bits when adding the broth. |
| Heavy cream & Parmesan | Freshly grate the Parmesan from a block so it melts nice and smoothly into the sauce. |
| Spinach, sun-dried tomatoes & Dijon | Give the spinach a quick chop so it blends in better. I love oil-packed, julienne-cut sun-dried tomatoes with herbs. |
How To Make Creamy Sausage Pasta
- Boil pasta and save some of the pasta water.
- Cook sausage with spices, then put aside.
- Prep sauce by adding butter, garlic, broth, cream, Parm, and sun-dried tomatoes.
- Mix pasta, spinach, and sausage in the sauce, adding pasta water if needed.
- Serve with extra Parmesan and fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Quick Tip
Forget to keep pasta water? Try this tip: Put a mug or heatproof cup in the strainer. When you pour out the pasta, you’ll remember to save some water first!
Chelsea’s Tips
A Couple Recipe Tips
- Salt the pasta water generously: Salt the boiling water before adding the pasta. If the pasta itself isn’t well seasoned, the whole creamy sausage pasta can taste a little flat.
- Use 10 ounces of pasta: Most packages are 16 ounces, so be sure to measure it out and save the rest for fettuccine alfredo. I like to set a cup on a food scale, zero it out, then add the pasta until it reaches 10 ounces.
Storage
Creamy Sausage Pasta Storage
Like most pasta dishes, this one is best enjoyed right after everything is combined. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3–4 days.
To reheat, warm gently on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of heavy cream or chicken broth to loosen the sauce and bring back that creamy texture.
This dish isn’t a great candidate for freezing.
Great Side Dishes For This Pasta
Appetizers
Life-Changing No-Knead Dinner Rolls
Salads
Italian Salad Recipe
Appetizers
Garlic Bread Recipe
Creamy Sausage Pasta
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 ounces fettuccine not the entire package!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 ounces ground Italian sausage see note 1
- 1-1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning divided
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 3 cloves
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1-1/3 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese see note 2
- 4 light packed cups baby spinach see note 3
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard optional
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil see note 4
- Serving suggestions see note 5
Instructions
- Set a large colander in the sink with a liquid measuring cup in the center so you don’t forget to reserve some pasta water before draining. Bring 12 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt, then cook the pasta for 1-1/2 minutes less than the package directions indicate. Scoop out a mugful of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta. Don’t rinse in cold water.
- Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, and salt and pepper (I use 1/2 teaspoon each). Cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until deeply browned. The more color, the more flavor! Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a paper-towel-lined plate. Leave about 1 tablespoon of grease in the skillet and drain off any excess.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, add garlic and a tiny pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, until golden, about 30 seconds. Pour in 1/2 cup chicken broth; it should sizzle and boil. Scrape up any browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Once this 1/2 cup is mostly evaporated, add in the other 1/2 cup broth. Stir.
- Add heavy cream, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3–5 minutes or until it thickens and slightly reduces. The sauce shouldn’t boil; reduce heat / stir more frequently if needed. Once thickened, mix in the remaining 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and Dijon mustard if using.
- Add the spinach, pasta, and sausage. Use tongs to toss into the cream sauce until the sauce thickens, nicely coats the pasta, and the spinach cooks down (1–2 mins). If the sauce is too thick, slowly add in the reserved pasta water.
- Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and fresh thyme or basil, if desired. I love adding toasted sourdough on the side to soak up any extra sauce. This pasta is definitely best enjoyed right after everything is tossed together!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This dish is packed with delicious flavor and is the perfect comfort food for a chilly night! We loved it, and I’ll definitely be making it again!
Yay! So thrilled to hear this! Thanks Pam!
I made this last night. I don’t mean to be one of those reviewers who change the entire recipe and then comment! I just wanted other readers to know that the substitutions I used, out of necessity, still resulted in an AMAZING dish! I used fresh oregano about 3T and dried basil for my Italian seasoning, my homemade chicken stock I keep frozen in ice cubes ( 3) and Romano cheese about 1/3-1/2 cup. I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes but I threw my entire package of fresh baby spinach in. Served with a beautiful Parmesan and fresh basil. Thank you! I will be making this again! All other ingredients were the same as yours but I kept some sauce and pasta separate for another round today!
That sounds amazing! And I always appreciate suggestions! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂
Excellent dish, the flavors blended so well, better than most restaurants. Will definitely make again.
So glad to hear that! Thanks Jim!
I made this tonight for my family and they loved it! I followed your recipes exactly except I bought the wrong kind of sausage. Mine was already cooked. Even though, it was still delicious!
So happy this recipe was enjoyed! Thank you so much for the comment 🙂