This spicy Italian sausage pasta recipe is fast, easy, and uses minimal ingredients. It's the perfect weeknight dinner that tastes like it came from a restaurant!
This recipe was originally published on June 6, 2016. I've revised the recipe to make it even more delicious and easy to make. I've also added new photos.
Italian sausage and pasta is a magical combo. This pasta recipe is ideal for those sausage and carb lovers out there (like me), naturally. Spicy Italian sausage, tomatoes, garlic, cream, lots of parmesan cheese, and a touch of fresh basil make this recipe a winner.
I decided to redo this one when I was brainstorming recipes and realized I already had something similar on the blog to what I was envisioning. From over 3 years ago. That's the thing about food blogs... recipes get buried, especially ones where the photos are less than stellar. I am happy to have resurrected this recipe. New and improved!
I re-photographed my Italian sausage tortellini soup recipe this year as well, and if you like this recipe, I think you will like that one as well.
The sauce is creamy, but not too creamy if you know what I mean. It's tomato-y first and foremost. The cream helps mellow some of that acidity from the tomatoes and spice from the sausage. I am not a huge spice person, and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. It has just enough zing in my opinion.
Penne goes really well with this spicy Italian sausage pasta recipe. The little tubes are perfect for that sauce. You can use any shape you want, though.
Pro tip: Want to make this pasta more spicy? Add a pinch of cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes. On the flip side, if you don't want it to be spicy, just use mild Italian sausages. 🙂
Other pastas with sausage you may like:
- Tuscan Sausage Pasta
- Cajun Sausage Pasta
- Simple Sausage and Broccoli Pasta
- Easy Sausage Rigatoni
- Healthy Chicken Sausage Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes
Hope you'll love this hot Italian sausage pasta recipe!
Questions? Let me know in the comments below.
Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked penne
- 10.6 ounces hot Italian sausages crumbled (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1 (14 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 6 large leaves basil sliced/torn into small pieces
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Take the sausage meat out of the casings and crumble it into a deep skillet. Cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until browned.
- Once the sausage is browned, take it out of the pan and set it aside. Drain the fat.
- Add the garlic, followed by the chicken broth to the skillet. Sprinkle the flour in. Whisk it until the flour has dissolved, and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook this mixture until it's significantly reduced (should only take a minute or two in total).
- Add in the tomatoes, cream, and the sausage meat. Cook the sauce for a few more minutes until it's thickened to your liking. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
- Just prior to serving, add in the torn basil leaves and then toss with the drained pasta. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- I used 3 sausages from a 5-pack of Johnsonville hot Italian sausages. Anything in the 10.6 oz ballpark will work, or you can even use more sausage meat if you wish. You can use mild Italian sausages if you prefer.
- I don't recommend substituting the heavy cream because the acidity in the tomatoes will likely curdle half-and-half or milk.
- If you don't have any basil, feel free to leave it out, but I really like the fresh flavor it adds.
- I used my handy Microplane zester/grater to grate the parmesan.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Michelle says
I used smoked garlic and chilli sausages - superb! Can’t recommend this recipe enough
Natasha says
Fantastic!! That sounds amazing!!
Rachael says
Can I sub tomato paste and or a ragu sauce if I don’t have the diced tomatoes??
Natasha says
You could try, but tomato paste is much thicker, so you may need to tweak other ingredients. Canned tomato sauce will work. As far as a pre-made ragu sauce... I guess that would work in a pinch, but it already has its own flavors and such.
Sandra says
This was sooo good and easy to make! I used orrichete and blended the diced tomato. It’s definitely a keeper. The whole family loved it.
Natasha says
Thank you!! I'm so glad to hear that! 🙂
Kimberly Casey says
I added frozen green peas to brighten up the dish. Their sweetness was a perfect complement to the spicy sausage. This dish looks and tastes like it came from a fancy restaurant. 😊😊😊
Natasha says
Fabulous!! I'm so happy you liked it, Kimberly! 😀
SQ Linn says
This was great. Started with a search for a recipe with the ingredients I had on hand. I did use half and half with no curdling or separation. I added mushrooms sautéed in brown butter because they needed to be used before going bad. Fresh basil from the garden was a great addition. Will definitely make again!
Natasha says
I'm so pleased that you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Dawn says
Hi there! This recipe looks amazing! What kind of white wine do you recommend? We love to drink chardonnay and Savion Blanc. Also how can I use the Mild Italian sausage to make it as spicy as the Spicy. (Our grocery store in our little town only carries Spicy that you have to peel the skin)
Natasha says
Hello! Sauv blanc or chardonnay would work just fine! Anything dry and that you like the taste of, really. 🙂 I'd add in some crushed red pepper flakes to make it spicy or a couple dashes of cayenne pepper. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Christina Garrigan says
Could this be made ahead of time and then put into a casserole dish to reheat later in the day for dinner?
Natasha says
You could, but pasta tends to soak up sauce and gets a bit of a weird texture that's not as good as when it's freshly made. I'd probably boil the pasta just before serving if possible. If you can't do that, perhaps cook the pasta and store is separately from the sauce then add them together to warm them up before serving.
Sherri says
This was a really good pasta dish. I had left over hot Italian sausage and needed to use it up. It was quick and delicious! I usually cook my sauce for hours but this was probably the fastest tomato sauce I've ever made, yet it didn't lack flavor. I added a few extras like onion and yellow pepper with the sausage, just because I needed to use ingredients before they went bad. Hate waste.
And yes, using whole milk will curdle the sauce a bit initially, but it's all I had on hand. After it cooked a bit, it all came together and was still delicious.
Definitely will make this again. The mister also enjoyed it. Glad I found your recipe. Thank you.
Natasha says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂 You're very welcome, Sherri!
Lu says
Restaurant flavours for a surprisingly easy recipe! The smell was amazing when I was cooking the garlic and white wine. I used pinot grigio and it worked really well, including the glass I enjoyed with the meal! I used Italian sausages from Marks & Spencer for any UK folks without an Italian deli to hand.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Thanks for the tips. I love visiting the UK and always make a stop at M&S myself haha.
Kaden says
Natasha,
Which wine varietals pair well w/ this dish?
Made it before and just love it!
Thanks,
Kaden
Natasha says
Hi! I'm glad you enjoy this recipe!! For a red, try a pinot noir, for white try a sauvignon blanc but as it's summertime, a rosé would pair well too.
Hank says
Really delicious flavors! I followed the recipe closely and my sauce ended up quite watery. Will make again thinking I will add more flour or use more of a tomato puree, but would love any tips!
Natasha says
Hi Hank! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Yeah, the way the recipe is written is not meant to yield a super thick sauce. Yes, you could certainly add a bit more flour (or make a roux) or use pureed/crushed tomatoes - they would add some thickness for sure as you indicate. I would probably try the tomatoes route first.
Allysa says
This recipe was so good. Will for sure be making this again!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks for leaving me a review!
Lynda says
Truly delicious.
Natasha says
Thank you so much, Lynda!
Diane says
Is vegetable broth ok to use?
Natasha says
Sure! Enjoy. 🙂
Alexus says
Mannn my picky eater bf loved it
Natasha says
Fantastic!!
Petra says
My son is a picky eater.... he loved it!!! And so did I❤️
Natasha says
Fantastic!!
Jason G says
This tastes fantastic! However mine turned out to have a pink sauce rather than red? Maybe my tomatoes had too much juice? When it comes down to it it tasted delicious so I’ll be making it again
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it! Yes, that's definitely a possibility. The sauce does have a bit of a pinkish tint if I recall, so it's all good. 🙂
Dana says
I like this pasta dish and it is so easy to make for a weeknight treat or Sunday dinner. Just enough spice. This one is on repeat.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂
Maria says
Another winner! Delicious and quick...perfect anytime.
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Claire Dawson says
Amazing recipe, I used British pork sausages instead. All the other ingredients I had! The cayenne pepper makes the dish. 10/10
Natasha says
Fantastic!! So pleased you liked it, Claire!
Dee says
Better make extra!!! 😋😋 and easy. Thank you!!
Natasha says
You're welcome!
Maria says
Easy and delicious! It’s in regular circulation in our home.
Natasha says
Fantastic!!
Lisa M says
Wonderful recipe! I added 1/3 cup diced bell pepper to cook with the meat mixture, plus 1/2 cup sliced fresh portobello mushrooms to the flour/tomato mixture.
Natasha says
Thank you!! so glad you liked it.
Karen says
Tried this tonight for a quick, something different dish! It was super easy and delicious! I did add a little sugar and parsley! Thank you for sharing!!
Natasha says
You're welcome!! So happy you liked it! 😀
Rachel Kline says
Love this. I did not have sausage meat on hand so I used a smoked beef sausage, sliced about 3mm thick. Worked great, and the flavours blended well. I love this website. Thank you for posting great tasting recipes that use everyday ingredients.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! You're so sweet. I'm glad you're finding the recipes useful!
Rashell De Leon says
What can I use to substitute the wine or chicken broth? Can I leave it out?
Natasha says
I'd probably leave it out, yes.
Marga says
This is really one of my favorite pastas dishes ever! i use the Johnsonville sweet italian sausage and added some chilli to add more spice 🙂 This is melt in your mouth kind of pasta dish and will keep on making it!! Thanks Natasha!
Natasha says
Aww fabulous!! Thank you!! 🙂
Briton says
I don’t have cream in the house but I have a nice fresh pack of ricotta cheese. Think that would be nice or does it need to be cream?
Natasha says
Hmmm... I don't cook with ricotta often, but I think it could taste good. It may not be as pretty/smooth of a sauce as cream, though.
Mike says
1st time I made the recipe as called for, 2nd time I used boiled sausages then thinly sliced, 3rd time I added canned sliced mushrooms. This is one robust recipe. No matter what I added the results were excellent. Can’t wait for the next addition
Natasha says
That's great!! I'm so glad you're tweaking it to make it a little different each time. 🙂
Ann says
This is one of my favorites!! Salt and Lavender recipes never fail they are always super quick and delish! 🙂
Natasha says
Aww thank you!! 🙂 So happy you're enjoying my recipes, Ann.
Lauren says
I have made this a few times but with with wine instead of chicken broth. Does it make a lot of difference with the flavor? I usually like to add wine to my pasta sauce because I feel like it gives it a little extra flavor but I’m doing dry January so I don’t have any in the house.
Natasha says
I'm definitely partial towards wine myself, but I do suggest chicken broth for many of my recipes since it seems more accessible to readers. I think this recipe is delicious without the wine, but you could do a little trick I do when I don't have any white wine... add in a bit of Dijon mustard too. The chicken broth + Dijon mustard combo sorta mimics the taste of white wine (start with 1/2 teaspoon or so).
Paul from Long Island says
You could try Verjus, or another alcohol free wine, or even mirin cut with some water unless you like the sweetness.