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    Home » Pasta

    Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta

    Published: Aug 24, 2019 / Updated: Feb 28, 2022 / 247 Comments

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

    Jump to Recipe

    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!

    spicy Italian sausage penne pasta with a fork in a white bowl

    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. 

     

    Italian sausage penne close-up

    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. 🙂

    close-up of spicy Italian sausage pasta sauce with penne

    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

    spicy Italian sausage and pasta in two white bowls

    Hope you'll love this hot Italian sausage pasta recipe!

    Questions? Let me know in the comments below.

    Italian sausage penne close-up

    Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta

    This spicy Italian sausage pasta is fast, easy, and uses minimal ingredients. It's the perfect weeknight dinner that tastes like it came from a restaurant!
    4.92 from 84 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Servings 4
    Calories 598 kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 598kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 20gFat: 36gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 814mgPotassium: 558mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 580IUVitamin C: 13mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 3mg
    Keyword spicy Italian sausage pasta
    Author Natasha Bull
    « Broccoli Ramen Salad
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    1. Ron says

      January 30, 2023 at 7:12 PM

      5 stars
      Can't thank you enough for this recipe. Just finished eating a plate and this blows away anything I have ever made before. My son said I should make this if I want to impress our company.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 31, 2023 at 10:27 AM

        Yay!! I'm so happy to hear that, Ron!! 😀

        Reply
    2. Louise says

      January 25, 2023 at 1:12 PM

      5 stars
      Just made this and it was delicious. Would definitely recommend. We used chilli oil to fry the spicy sausages off which added to the spice and flavour. We’re going to add mushrooms next time too!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 25, 2023 at 2:18 PM

        Awesome!! Glad you liked it!

        Reply
    3. Linda says

      January 5, 2023 at 2:14 PM

      5 stars
      My family of picky eaters loves this!! Usually there's a couple who don't like spicy food so I did use the mild Italian sausage. Huge success! Making for 3rd time this weekend by request for a birthday dinner!!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        January 5, 2023 at 2:59 PM

        That's great to hear, Linda!! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Maureen Hannah says

      November 30, 2022 at 2:16 PM

      5 stars
      This was a surprisingly simple recipe with little prep time. It was delicious, especially after leaving it for an hour in the Dutch oven before serving it. I paired it with a Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blend from France’s Bergerac region (four-year-old vintage for $15, from Dordogne Valley).

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        November 30, 2022 at 8:37 PM

        I'm so glad it was a hit, Maureen! 😀

        Reply
    5. Tristan says

      November 1, 2022 at 6:46 PM

      5 stars
      It was super good! I didn’t have cream (haven’t gone grocery shopping and was down to the bare minimums) so I used some left over Alfredo sauce, I added sundried tomatoes along with the garlic and I chopped kale in my food processor and added it once I mixed the sauce and the pasta. Really good.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        November 1, 2022 at 7:52 PM

        I'm so happy it worked out, Tristan! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Madelaine says

      October 30, 2022 at 9:03 PM

      5 stars
      This recipe was delicious and was a hit with my family! I added a chopped red pepper into it which added a nice pop of flavour 😊 thank you!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 31, 2022 at 9:21 AM

        Yay!! Glad it was a hit! Love the red pepper idea.

        Reply
    7. Mai says

      October 17, 2022 at 6:42 PM

      A trick I learned from my great grandmother was add cream or milk first before tomatoes and it won’t curdle. Works for me.

      Reply
    8. Rachel says

      October 5, 2022 at 10:08 PM

      5 stars
      This recipe has been in my weekly rotation for the better part of 2 years. It’s the lowest effort for most reward of any dinner recipe I’ve tried.

      Absolutely delicious.

      I never change anything, unless I don’t have any fresh basil on hand, then I’ll add a swirl of Durant’s Basil olive oil as a garnish.

      It’s really unbeatable. If you make it once, you’ll make it again.

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        October 5, 2022 at 10:17 PM

        Aww I'm so happy to hear that!! Thanks for your review! 😀

        Reply
    9. Kari says

      September 20, 2022 at 7:45 PM

      5 stars
      Delicious and quick.
      Just made tonight and the family loved it. Used a can of ro-tel and some ground hot Italian sausage.
      This will be made again!!

      Reply
      • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

        September 20, 2022 at 9:16 PM

        Excellent!! Glad it was a hit with the family, Kari.

        Reply
    10. Deb says

      September 17, 2022 at 4:10 PM

      5 stars
      Wow, I feel like I just had dinner at a restaurant! So good! I used local hot Italian sausage and white zinfandel instead of chicken stock. Yummy!

      Reply
      • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

        September 17, 2022 at 4:19 PM

        That's so kind of you to say! Thanks for your review, Deb! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Sarah says

      September 13, 2022 at 8:25 PM

      Great recipe! Made it a few times and love it. Planning to make it tomorrow and wondering if I can substitute a jarred 4 cheese pasta sauce instead of diced tomatoes?

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 14, 2022 at 11:21 AM

        Hi! I'm so glad. You could for sure try, but ensure that you don't cook it at too high a heat as a cheese sauce could separate. I can't really speak to exactly how it'll taste, but I imagine if you like the jarred sauce, it should be yummy. 🙂

        Reply
    12. Evilpig says

      September 2, 2022 at 9:19 PM

      Skipped the chicken broth and flour step and added an onion with the garlic and cooked it with the Sausage. Came out amazing. Added some habenero shredded cheese at the end and it was deliciously spicy!

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        September 2, 2022 at 9:33 PM

        Excellent!!

        Reply
    13. Jan ham says

      August 17, 2022 at 1:19 PM

      5 stars
      I made this dish tonight and thought I was in an authentic Italian restaurant. Followed recipe to the last detail, just delicious.
      Would I be able to freeze it, I did use cream.
      Thank you

      Reply
      • Natasha says

        August 17, 2022 at 1:23 PM

        Fantastic!! Glad you enjoyed it. You could try freezing it. I think it should be ok since it's not something like Alfredo sauce, but there's always a chance the texture could change a bit. Thanks for your review, Jan!

        Reply
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