Home > Dinner > Pasta & Pizza > Sausage Alfredo Pasta Sausage Alfredo Pasta December 17, 2021 | No Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. This creamy Sausage Alfredo Pasta combines penne pasta, smoked sausage, and a seasoned Alfredo sauce to deliver a restaurant-worthy meal. This dinner can be ready in about 30 minutes or less making it a perfect weeknight dinner. For a lightened-up Sausage Alfredo pasta with veggies (onion, peppers, and mushrooms) try our Cajun Sausage Pasta. Sausage Alfredo Pasta Once you try this recipe, you’ll never want to make Sausage Alfredo with jarred sauce again! This creamy Alfredo sauce is insanely easy to make and loaded with flavor! To keep things as quick and easy as possible (weeknight dinner recipe alert!), the only thing you’ll need to chop for this recipe is the sausage. Other than that, you can use pre-minced (jarred) garlic and nothing else needs diced or chopped. The sauce packs a serious punch of flavor with minimal ingredients. We do this by adding in some cajun seasoning to introduce a slight hit of heat, along with a smoky, garlicky, and peppery flavor. Of course, if you prefer less heat, feel free to reduce the amount. And, on the flip side, if you’re a heat lover, increase the amount to personal taste preference. QUICK TIP Try some of our other favorite Alfredo recipes–this Chicken Alfredo Recipe, this lightened-up Chicken Alfredo, or this Chicken Broccoli Alfredo. Can You Put Sausage In Alfredo? You can’t go wrong with adding sausage to a creamy pasta recipe–it’s the perfect combination! This particular recipe features smoked sausage in the sauce, but for a ground Italian sausage Alfredo sauce, try this Creamy Sausage Pasta! Do You Cook Sausage Before Putting It In Sauce? Yes! Even though smoked sausage is fully cooked, we recommend sautéing it first for this recipe. There are a couple reasons for doing this: It builds flavor. The drippings and any browned bits left behind from cooking the sausage add so much flavor to the creamy Alfredo sauce. It makes the sausage more flavorful. Color=flavor and adding some color to the sausage improves the texture and flavor of the sausage. VARIATIONS Sausage Alfredo Variation Ideas Make Shrimp and Sausage Alfredo After sautéing and then removing the sausage, add in some shrimp. Here’s what to do: Add in 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter to the same pan. While the butter melts, add salt to the shrimp (I add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon). Toss gently. As soon as the butter is melted, add shrimp in one even layer so shrimp is not overlapping. (It will steam if the pan is too crowded.) Cook for 1 minute, then use tongs to flip each shrimp over and cook on the other side for 1 more minute. Transfer cooked shrimp to a clean plate. Return shrimp to the pan at the end! Make Chicken and Sausage Alfredo After sautéing and then removing the sausage, follow directions for cooking chicken in this Buffalo Chicken Pasta recipe. Remove chicken and rest, tented with foil. Dice or thinly slice then add back in at the end! Or make a chicken, shrimp, and sausage Alfredo by cooking each component separately (in the same pan–this will build layers of flavor!) and then returning it back into the pasta at the end. How To Make Sausage Alfredo Salt the pasta water: Salting the water is the only chance you have to season the actual pasta, so make sure the penne pasta is well salted as it cooks (otherwise this entire Sausage Alfredo Pasta will taste under-seasoned). Sauté sausage: Once the sausage is sautéed, add to a plate and tent with foil. Toss together sauce: Don’t wipe out the pan! We’ll prepare the sauce in the same pan building on the flavor left from sautéing the sausage. We add some Cajun seasoning to make a Cajun Sausage Alfredo–you’ll be amazed how much flavor this adds! Emulsify! Now here’s the secret to the best Italian pasta recipes–emulsifying! Tossing the hot pasta with the Alfredo sauce and reserved pasta water is called emulsifying and that’s how you get a wonderfully smooth and flavorful sauce that clings to the pasta instead of falling to the bottom of the pot! STORAGE Storing This Sausage Alfredo is best enjoyed the minute the sauce is emulsified. In fact, this is when all pasta dishes taste their best! You can certainly store leftovers, but you’ll need to add some more heavy cream to loosen the sauce again as you reheat the pasta. Leftover pasta will be softer, but still plenty flavorful. Because of the pasta and dairy in this dish, it isn’t a great candidate for freezing and thawing. What To Serve With Sausage Alfredo Pasta: Veggies. Try our favorite roasted vegetables, roasted broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, or roasted green beans. Bread. Garlic bread, French bread, or these no-knead dinner rolls to sop up any leftover sauce. A Big Salad. Try our copycat Olive Garden Salad, this Italian Salad, this everyday Salad Recipe or a quick Garden Salad. FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Sausage Alfredo Pasta 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe This creamy Sausage Alfredo Pasta combines penne pasta, smoked sausage, and a seasoned Alfredo sauce to deliver a restaurant-worthy meal. This dinner can be ready in about 30 minutes or less making it a perfect weeknight meal. SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Sausage Alfredo Pasta 5 from 1 vote - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe This creamy Sausage Alfredo Pasta combines penne pasta, smoked sausage, and a seasoned Alfredo sauce to deliver a restaurant-worthy meal. This dinner can be ready in about 30 minutes or less making it a perfect weeknight meal. Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine American, Italian Keyword sausage alfredo, Sausage Alfredo Pasta Prep Time 15 minutes minutes Cook Time 15 minutes minutes Total Time 30 minutes minutes Servings 4 servings Calories 1246kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $9.12 Ingredients▢ 1 pkg. (16 oz.) penne pasta▢ Fine sea salt & pepper▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil▢ 1 pkg. (13 oz.) smoked sausage, thinly sliced▢ 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons▢ 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic (or use 1 tsp garlic powder)▢ 1 tablespoon cajun seasoning (Note 1)▢ 1/2 teaspoon each: paprika and dried oregano▢ 1 cup heavy whipping cream▢ 1-1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese or Parmigiano Reggiano (Note 2)▢ Optional: fresh parsley, for garnishUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsPASTA: Heads-up: you'll need to save pasta water before draining! Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add in 1 tablespoon fine sea salt. Add in all the penne pasta and boil, stirring occasionally, until it's "al dente" according to package directions (lowest time indicated on package). Before draining, remove 1 cup of pasta water. Drain but do not rinse in cold water.SAUSAGE: Place a large cast iron skillet/pot (big enough to hold all the pasta later) over medium-high heat. Drizzle in 1 tablespoon oil. Once oil is hot, add the sliced sausage. Let sear, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned (smoked sausage is cooked through, so no need to get to a certain temperature). Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large bowl, leaving any grease behind (If there is more than 1 tablespoon, drain it off). Set sausage aside for now. SAUCE: In same pot (don't wipe it out), add butter and melt over medium-high heat. Once melted, add in garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in the cream, cajun seasoning, paprika, oregano, and pepper to taste (I add 1/4 tsp.). As soon as mixture boils, turn heat down to medium low. Simmer until thickened, about 1-3 minutes (See Note 3). SAUCE, CONT.: Once thickened, remove pan from heat. Stir in the finely grated Parmesan cheese until melted and sauce is mostly smooth. Dump drained pasta right on top of the sauce plus 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Return sausage and add optional parsley. Return pan to heat. Turn to medium and toss gently with tongs until the pasta and sauce emulsify (cling together) nicely. This takes about 1 minute. Add additional pasta water if needed (if it's looking dry/stodgy!). Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed. ENJOY: Remove from heat and serve right away! Garnish plates with fresh parsley plus a sprinkle more of cheese if desired. Video Recipe NotesNote 1: Cajun seasoning. This seasoning can vary a lot from brand to brand. We personally use McCormick’s® Perfect Pinch Cajun or Tony Chachere’s® Original Creole Seasoning (neither sponsored). You can also make your own Cajun seasoning mix if you’d prefer. Whatever you use, add slowly and to taste. Cajun seasoning is also often salted, which is why we don't add any extra salt to the sauce. Note 2: Parmesan cheese: This ingredient makes the biggest difference to the overall flavor in the recipe. And while this recipe is designed to be quick and easy, don't try to shortcut the cheese. Do not use canned or pre-shredded/grated Parmesan--the sauce won't work (cheese doesn't melt smoothly and you'll be left with a big clump). Instead, use a block of cheese to grate finely on the small sides of a cheese grater or Microplane. If you're looking for some extra umph, try Parmigiano Reggiano--it's incredible in this dish. Note 3: Thickness check: The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Lift up the spoon and immediately trace a line across the back of the spoon with your fingertip. If the line retains a clear track, the sauce is thick enough. If not, the sauce needs to be simmered a bit longer. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 1246kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 79g | Saturated Fat: 40g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 210mg | Sodium: 1464mg | Potassium: 602mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2586IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 412mg | Iron: 3mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
