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    Home » Mains

    Simple Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

    Published: Apr 16, 2018 / Updated: Sep 17, 2019 / 30 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my affiliate disclosure for more details.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This easy sausage and broccoli pasta uses only a handful of everyday ingredients and comes together in less than 30 minutes!

    close-up of sausage broccoli pasta in a bowl with a fork

    Italian sausage and pasta is such a good combo. I used spicy Italian sausage in this pasta dish, but feel free to use mild Italian sausage, chicken sausage, or any sausage of your choosing!

    This broccoli and sausage pasta recipe is ideal for busy weeknights or when you don't want to buy a lot of ingredients.

    How to make pasta with sausage and broccoli

    Either slice the sausage like I did, or crumble it while you're sautéing it. I like to cook the sausage first and then add the broccoli to the pan for about 4 minutes to get it tender-crisp.

    creamy Italian sausage and broccoli pasta in a skillet

    This easy broccoli pasta with sausage has a creamy (but not too creamy) garlic sauce.

    I swapped the heavy cream with half-and-half to make this dish lighter (but still satisfying!).

    a bowl of sausage and broccoli penne and grated parmesan

    Red pepper flakes add a bit of spice (especially if you use a mild sausage), but feel free to leave them out if spicy sausage pasta isn't your thing!

    Looking for more sausage and pasta recipes? You may also like my Cajun sausage pasta or my roasted tomato and sausage pasta.

    close-up of broccoli sausage pasta with grated parmesan in a bowl

    Will you give this sausage pasta recipe a try?

    Let me know in the comments below!

    This creamy Italian sausage and broccoli pasta is easy and fast! You can use spicy sausage and chili flakes if you want more kick in this delicious weeknight pasta recipe. Half-and-half makes this recipe more healthy than using heavy cream. 

    Simple Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

    This easy sausage and broccoli pasta uses only a handful of everyday ingredients and comes together in less than 30 minutes!
    5 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine American
    Servings 4
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     

    • 8 ounces uncooked pasta
    • 1 (17.6 oz/500g package) Italian sausages cut into small pieces (or crumble it)
    • 1 head broccoli cut into small florets
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 cup half-and-half
    • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
    • Red pepper flakes to taste
    • Salt & pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Boil a large, salted pot of water and cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
    • Prep your sausage. Add it to a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, until it's browned and mostly cooked through (about 8-10 minutes).
    • Reduce the heat to medium and add the broccoli. Cover the pan and cook for 4 minutes. 
    • Stir in the garlic.
    • Add in the half-and-half. Let it bubble for a couple of minutes, ensuring the brown bits at the bottom of the pan are scraped into the sauce. Test if broccoli is cooked to your liking. If not, cook a bit longer.
    • Stir in the parmesan cheese and season with salt & pepper and red pepper flakes as needed. Once the pasta is done, drain it and toss it with the sauce. Enjoy immediately.
    Keyword sausage and broccoli pasta
    Author Natasha Bull
    « Creamy Balsamic Pork Tenderloin
    Easy Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore »

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    1. Katie says

      March 1, 2022 at 6:28 AM

      Could you replace the broccoli with green beans. I love broccoli but my family does not.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        March 1, 2022 at 9:05 AM

        I think that should work just fine, Katie! 🙂

        Reply
    2. Cindi Bollinger says

      July 6, 2021 at 11:33 AM

      5 stars
      I made this for supper and it was fabulous delicious ! And a big hit in my family !

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        July 6, 2021 at 11:43 AM

        Excellent!! I'm so pleased you all enjoyed it, Cindi! Thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
    3. Barb G says

      May 21, 2021 at 5:18 PM

      This was good but...all the pasta did not cook, I stirred it a couple of times but still had pasta that was not cooked.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        May 21, 2021 at 7:27 PM

        Hi! Just to clarify, what do you mean by the pasta? The pasta is cooked separately in a pot of boiling water according to package directions. Do you mean that the broccoli in the sauce wasn't quite tender enough? In that case, I'd cook it for a little longer next time or cut it into smaller pieces first.

        Reply
    4. Joan says

      January 7, 2021 at 12:01 PM

      5 stars
      This was incredibly delicious! Even though my children wouldn’t eat the broccoli, they absolutely loved the pasta and sausage. I left out the extra salt and found that the cheese made the dish salty enough. I microwaved the sausage for 3 minutes prior to cutting them. It sped up the cooking process by 10-15 minutes. This recipe is definitely a keeper:))

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 7, 2021 at 5:18 PM

        Well that's a win!! I'm so glad you liked it!

        Reply
    5. Tanya says

      June 25, 2020 at 8:25 PM

      5 stars
      Made this tonight with a rope of smoked turkey sausage and garden fresh broccoli. It was delicious! Simmering the broccoli and sausage in the cream for a few minutes made the sauce smokey and amazing!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        June 26, 2020 at 8:39 AM

        That's awesome! So glad you liked it! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Diane says

      April 16, 2020 at 5:24 PM

      5 stars
      This is going into my, I-don't-have-anything-thawed-and-I-need-dinner-ready-in-an-hour-or-less file. I used heavy cream, a dash of beef bone broth to deglaze the pan, and some onion powder. It was most yummy. Hubby had 3 servings, I think he liked it! 😉 Thanks for this.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 17, 2020 at 9:14 AM

        Haha awesome! That's what I like to hear!

        Reply
    7. Tuggy says

      April 6, 2020 at 3:18 PM

      5 stars
      Used regular milk and let it cool down for awhile -- turned out great! Add lots of black pepper for extra taste.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 6, 2020 at 3:23 PM

        Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know!

        Reply
    8. Gordon Nicol says

      January 8, 2020 at 12:43 PM

      5 stars
      I'm not much of cook and a guy, so finding this totally delicious recipe was a real gem for me.
      I didn't have any garlic or half & half, just used cream. But, it was so delicious and it really tasted as if there was much more than the ingredients. I think that the caramelised gravy of the sausages mixes with the cream to give it this almost mushroomy flavour.
      You can be sure I'll be making this again ! Even my five year old daughter LOVED it and asked for second helpings ! Now, that's something.
      Thanks so much Natasha for sharing this !

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 8, 2020 at 2:25 PM

        That's great!! I am so happy that it worked out and your daughter enjoyed it too!! 😀

        Reply
    9. Tania says

      December 4, 2019 at 9:41 AM

      What's half and half please

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        December 4, 2019 at 11:20 AM

        Half milk and half cream. Sold in North America.

        Reply
    10. jemmy says

      September 21, 2019 at 12:05 PM

      Is this able to be frozen? If so, would you pass on instructions for that please? Thank u! My family loves this dish but i want to be able to make and freeze it if possible

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 21, 2019 at 6:27 PM

        Hmmm... I find broccoli doesn't freeze too well.

        Reply
    11. Nancy says

      September 16, 2019 at 3:08 PM

      When do you add the pasta to the sausage and broccoli?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 16, 2019 at 3:47 PM

        I just add it when the sauce is done and the pasta is cooked. 😊

        Reply
    12. liz says

      January 9, 2019 at 8:48 AM

      5 stars
      Yum! Did a search for recipes with broccoli and sausage and didn't want a red sauce. Yours popped up - lucky me. We made this last night and it was delish. The kids loved it too. Simple ingredients, easy to make, and delish. I used milk (didn't have cream) and fettucini pasta, and added cauliflower. Will add this to my list of go to's. Thank you for sharing. ( :

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 9, 2019 at 10:04 AM

        I'm so happy to hear everyone liked it, Liz! 🙂

        Reply
    13. Samdana Bhardy says

      October 28, 2018 at 6:41 PM

      5 stars
      Oh my, this was really wonderful - thank you for sharing this recipe. I've made a pasta/sausage/broc/garlic recipe before (from Silver Palate) - also quite tasty but this one with the cream & parmesan was gobbled up at turbo speed! Hint: if all you have is breakfast sausage links, a little fennel seed with those red pepper flakes makes it taste just like Italian sausage. 🙂 Thanks again!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 29, 2018 at 9:29 AM

        So happy you liked the recipe! Thanks for the tip!!

        Reply
    14. YM says

      April 17, 2018 at 4:45 PM

      5 stars
      Just made this recipe and it was fabulous. I tweaked it a bit since I didn't have the sausage or cream. I used chicken breast and milk to replace the items I was missing. It still came out delicious and super quick. Had the dish on the table with a salad and garlic bread in under an hour.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 17, 2018 at 5:35 PM

        So glad you liked it!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know.

        Reply
    15. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

      April 16, 2018 at 2:46 PM

      5 stars
      Bet this is delicious! Love how easy it is too for those busy weeknights!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        April 16, 2018 at 3:46 PM

        Thanks so much! Yes, it’s very simple to make. 🤗

        Reply

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    Natasha Bull, founder and author of Salt & Lavender, in the kitchen

    Hi! I'm Natasha. Salt & Lavender is a recipe blog with a focus on delicious comfort food using everyday ingredients. Beat the weekday grind with hundreds of easy-to-follow and hassle-free recipes!  Read more...

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