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.
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.
Sharon says
LOVE THIS RECIPE!!!
The first time I made this I told my husband that I would order this dish out - it is so good.
I add onion and mushrooms after browning the sausage to the spicy fat and then add spinach when I add the cooked pasta - but this recipe requires nothing to be delicious. I cheat and buy hot sausage without the casing which makes this even quicker.
Natasha says
I'm so happy that you enjoy it!! 🙂 Thanks for your kind review.
Ellie says
We had this for dinner last night as Sharon revised the recipe and it was delicious! I also added a jar of Bertolli Tomato- Basil Sauce, and some sweet Reisling wine into the sausage, onion, mushroom, parmesan mixture. That small touch of sugar is good with all the acid. The only cream I had in the house was whipping cream in a can! I added about a cup to the sauce. It was out of this world good!
Ellie says
PS, I forgot to say I folded into the sauce mixture about two and a half cups of fresh baby spinach just before serving. It was a well-rounded nutritional dinner with no need to make a salad.
Natasha says
Sounds good to me!! 🙂
Keval says
I just made this and it was incredible! Added an onion with the garlic and a tsp of smoked paprika and red pepper flakes for an extra kick! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
Natasha says
Awesome!! So happy you enjoyed it! 😀
Laurel says
This is going to be a quick and tasty go-to for guests and weeknights.
Natasha says
Wonderful! Thank you!
KMC says
My boyfriend, his roommate, his roommate’s girlfriend, a neighbor, and I have been doing “family dinners” every week, each taking turns making a group meal. I made this, doubled, last night and it was a huge hit!! The roommate went to culinary school and is one of the best cooks I know, and he LOVED it. I did one link of spicy Italian sausage and one link of mild. Added diced red bell pepper, diced red onion, red pepper flakes, and a few teaspoons of Italian seasoning. I also roasted the garlic cloves before adding. Yum! Next time I will definitely do half white wine, half chicken broth (did all chicken broth this time) and add some zucchini. I’ve never reviewed a recipe before but this one was such a hit, I had to!
Natasha says
That's awesome!! I'm so glad that it was a hit!! Those dinners sound like fun! 🙂
Cooking for two says
Was excited to try this. However, it ended up tasting like a dish full of ingredients that don’t go together. I was missing a richness to the sauce that I made it expecting.
Natasha says
Really? That's too bad.
Kev says
You're doing it wrong mate..
Valerie Wells says
I loved everything about this dish, creamy flavourful. The whole family enjoyed it
Natasha says
That makes me happy!! 🙂
Bryn says
This was so good! We used 1/4 cup tomato paste instead of diced tomatoes and added sautéed zucchini at the end. Even the picky eaters in the household loved this, and it’s now one of our favourite recipes. Thank you!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you all liked it!! 🙂
Francoise Poirier-McQuarrie says
Delicious!
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it!
RONALD E PIERCE says
JUST MADE THIS TODAY ... AWESOME SAUCE LOL
Natasha says
Yay!!
Dolores says
Amazing recipe!
Natasha says
Glad you enjoyed it, Dolores 🙂
Martha Nedzel says
Very good, and easy. My only regret, I had no parmesan cheese, and I always have parmesan cheese on hand. It was very creamy without it but would have been another star, which is actually my fault. We will have this again!
Natasha says
Aw that's too bad! I hope you get some parm in soon. 🙂
Kristina says
DELICIOUS!! I followed the recipe exactly as shown and it came out amazing! Thank you!!!!
Natasha says
That's awesome!!
Jo Ann says
I accidentally picked up a can of diced tomatoes with green chilies, added a little kick if you like spicy. Because I am not a fan of chunky tomatoes, I puréed the tomatoes and used a mixture of both hot and regular sausage. It was a little thicker of a sauce but it was delicious! For those like me who don’t like tomatoes, pureeing the tomatoes may be an option.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!! Nothing wrong with a thick sauce and love the tomato tip! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Barbara says
this was delicious!
Natasha says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it!
Jean says
This is sooo good. I used mild Italian sausage, my husband doesn't like anything spicy. Followed the recipe exactly and passed the recipe on to some family me,bars. It is quick and easy. Today I barbecued some mushrooms, zucchini and peppers to have as a side dish.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it, Jean! And you can't beat grilled veggies! Yum.
Angela says
Very yummy. I made it with Italian chicken sausage, some red pepper flakes, rotini pasta and used white wine in favor of chicken broth. Turned out great.
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂
Samantha Z says
Great flavor, and amazing choice on a limited fridge. I followed the notes and recipe pretty much exact. Was tossed between this and a creamy Italian sausage dinner, glad I made this decision. I do feel like Tomato based sauces have more flexibility, and I love the heavy cream in this recipe. I added thinly sliced green peppers and onion and a very small amount of spinach.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it!! 🙂
Nickie says
I made a plant based version using BBs hot Italian sausage, coconut cream in place of heavy cream, nutritional yeast in place of parmesan and I also added onions with the garlic. It's probably the most delicious thing I've eaten in many years, and I think I might eat it everyday. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Natasha says
That makes me so happy!! 🙂
Brittnee says
AMAZINNGGGGG! This pasta was sooo delicious & easy, I loved it! The best part is that it requires barely any additional seasonings so it’s practically foul proof. Added bell peppers & onions for more texture.
Natasha says
Wonderful! I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Jarret says
Made it tonight I added mushrooms to mine
Natasha says
Awesome!
Sarah says
Yummy!
Natasha says
Thank you! 🙂
Jessica says
So delicious! I used 18% cream because it’s all I had and it didn’t curdle. So freaking yummy. I’ll definitely make it again!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it! I'm glad it didn't curdle. Sometimes it does and other times you get lucky haha.
Christa says
Oh my goodness, this was the best recipe! So easy to make and so delicious! My family enjoyed this recipe very much. 😊 thank you for sharing!
Natasha says
You're very welcome!! So glad you all liked it. 😀
Ali Jakes says
I love this recipe. Didn't have whole cream on hand, and did what you suggested we "not" do, I use half and half cream. Surprise, surprise, it worked out perfectly!! Didn't break up, and was very creamy. I also added about 6oz. of tomato sauce, because I love a tomato base. My only other substitute was fresh Cilantro (what I had on hand) vs. fresh basil. It was a hit for me. What I loved most was that from start to finish, it took less than an hour to get on the table. Yummy!!
Natasha says
I’m so glad it worked out! Haha yeah, sometimes the half and half works and other times it doesn’t. That’s why I put the note in there... I don’t like people to be disappointed. 😬
Nicole Flemming says
Can I substitute canned tomato sauce for the diced tomatoes? I've made the recipe as is before and it's absolutely delicious, but I can't watch my son pick out the tomato pieces any more lol!
Would an 8 or 14 oz tomato sauce be an ok substitution?
Natasha says
Hahha oh no! I think using tomato sauce instead should be fine. I'd try the 8 oz size first. That's kinda my first instinct to do that, and if you find you need more sauce, do the 14 oz can next time. Let me know how it goes!
Lindsay says
Hi Natasha! I plan on making this recipe this weekend for a group! Do you think I can sub the penne with cavatappi? If so (and I use the entire pkg of pasta) should I double all other ingredients to make sure there is enough sauce? I prefer a more saucy dish in general. Please let me know, and thank you!
Natasha says
Hi! Sure, subbing the type of pasta is totally fine. Yes, I’d double the sauce just to be on the safe side. Let me know how it goes! 🥰
Janet says
I made this tonite for dinner. I made adjustments after reading all the comments - I did 1/2 white wine, 1/2 chicken broth, and I added spinach. OMG delicious. A note of caution - while the spinach most definitely works flavorwise, I should have cooked it and thrown it in after because it added way to much liquid to the sauce and really thinned it up. That was my fault - this recipe is most definitely a keeper and I bet it would with chicken just as well.
Natasha says
So glad you liked it, Janet! 🙂
Kaitlyn says
Can this be made ahead of time and refrigerated or frozen?
Natasha says
Hi! I'd probably wait to add the cream into the sauce just prior to serving if you're planning on freezing it (and cook the pasta just prior to serving as well). If you're just putting the sauce in the fridge, then yes, you can make it ahead of time and reheat on a low heat.
Kate says
SO delicious!!! I used this recipe as a starting point and added canned Le Sueur peas and fresh spinach for some veggie component! It was so good my boyfriend and I went back for seconds! The only thing I would do differently next time, is sub the chicken broth for white wine or maybe do half wine and half chicken broth and double the flour so it would thicken a bit more. Otherwise this recipe is a total hit and will make again and again! Thanks Natasha!
Natasha says
Sounds delish!! So glad you liked it.
Amy Jong says
I just made it and it's so delicious and easy to make! How can I make more of the sauce in it? I like my pasta with a lot of sauce
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it, Amy!! I'd add some more cream in if you don't want to open another can of tomatoes. Or maybe a bit of extra white wine or some chicken broth.
Ashley L says
I just made this and it is so good!!! Thank you 🙂
Natasha says
Wonderful! 😀
Ruhika says
Can I leave out the heavy cream component?
Natasha says
Yeah if you need to.
Elizabeth says
This was wonderful. Super easy, quick and delicious!
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that! XO
Charlese says
I can’t eat tomatoes. Would it still taste good if I don’t put them in? Also if I don’t have tomatoes can I sub milk instead of heavy cream?
Natasha says
Hi! Hmm... I mean the tomatoes really are the base of the sauce. I don't want to tell you that you can leave them out because it would be a different recipe. Maybe try to Google a recipe with the ingredients you have? I just don't want you to be disappointed... especially when ingredients are harder to find these days.
Eva says
There was a recipe floating around in insta pasta water, olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest.
Mike says
You say not to sub milk for the heavy cream. As a [edited] person who doesn't want to make a trip to the store, would you recommend subbing some combination of skim milk, sour cream, butter, yogurt, cream cheese?
Thanks for the recipe!
Natasha says
Hi Mike! It’s hard to say without testing. The tomatoes tend to curdle milk or half and half so that’s the main reason why I don’t recommend using those. I’d add a bit of cream cheese or sour cream if you like the tangy taste. ☺️
Wendy Vall says
Do you have a preference of chicken broth or wine? Wondering what would be tastier?
Natasha says
I'd say white wine 🙂
Michelle says
Is there any preference to the type of white wine, will a moscato work or does it need to be a dryer white wine? Or cooking white wine?
Natasha says
Dry white wine. Like a sauv blanc or Pinot Grigio. Moscato is sweet so I definitely wouldn’t use that.
Deborah Nessley says
This is an amazing recipe
Natasha says
Thank you!!
Jessie R says
I finally made this last night for my family. I took a picture of it when I saw the recipe and saved it in my phone. Truth is, I'm mad at myself for waiting around to make it. It was delicious! What I loved most, is that it was so simple to make. I will definitely be following up and trying more of your recipes. Great job❣️
Natasha says
So glad it was a hit, Jessie! 🙂 Let me know if you do try more of my recipes! XO
Jessie R says
Just wanted to let you know I made this again last night and it was delicious☺️ We added some fresh spinach to it as well. I will be trying another one of your recipes soon. I'll make sure I leave a review. I'm definitely a fan of your recipes. Thanks for sharing them❤️
Natasha says
Awesome!! 🙂 I really appreciate your comments/reviews!
Rickey says
I made this about a month ago. Very delicious! My wife doesn't like Italian food but absolutely loved this. She is having me make it again tonight.
Natasha says
That's amazing!! Thanks for letting me know!
Maria says
Huge hit! Quick, inexpensive and super delicious! Paired it with some warm, crusty bread and a side salad. Perfect!!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it, Maria! 🙂
Jamie says
Was very good and budget friendly.
Natasha says
So pleased you liked it!
Jo says
This was a big hit with my picky husband. He usually doesn’t eat tomatoes and will pick them out of a dish. I used fire roasted tomatoes and he enjoyed it enough to go back for seconds. As others have said, I also thought it was a simple and delicious dish. Those are usually the best IMO. I may even mix it up and use chicken bites in place of sausage another time. Thank you!!!
Natasha says
I'm so glad he liked it!!
Priya Singh says
Hi! I was thinking of trying out this recipe, but being pregnant, I cannot use canned tomatoes 🙁 Is there a substitute for that you'd recommend? I've been a huge fan of a lot of your recipes so I trust your substitution recommendations! Thanks so much!
(Also, seriously thank you for posting your recipes online - I rave about how delicious and simple all your recipes have been to everyone).
Natasha says
Hi Priya!! I'm so glad you like my recipes. 🙂 Let's see... I think subbing fresh tomatoes in here would work just fine. They're not in season right now (not for me here in North America, anyway), but I think the sauce will still be good. I'd say about 6 plum/roma tomatoes should do it... or whatever looks best at the store.
Lucia H says
Delicious. Easy and very yummy. Followed it to the T and it was perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Natasha says
That's what I like to hear! 😀 Thank you for letting me know!
Elena B says
I loved this recipe! It turned out so delicious. I used sausage from the Italian store.
Thank you
Natasha says
Yay! So pleased to hear it!
Pam says
Made the dish as listed - I think worth buying fresh basil. It was excellent with great heat from the hot sausage.
Natasha says
So happy you liked it, Pam!! You can't beat fresh basil 🙂
Carroll Larremore says
Wonderful recipe!
Natasha says
So glad you liked it!
Marlene says
I just made this and it came out so good!! thanks for this recipe 🙂
Natasha says
Wonderful! You're welcome! 😀
catiefranc says
I am going to make this dish today, do you think I could add mushrooms?
Natasha says
Sure! Would be delish!
Sabrina says
This dish encompasses all my favorite Italian foods - pasta, sausage and tomato sauce. Yum!
Natasha says
Thanks so much, Sabrina!!
Michael Adams says
I am going to make this dish but could i add onions into this dish would you reccomend this or not??
Natasha says
Sure!
Karly says
If falling in love with a pasta dish is wrong, I don't want to be right. This looks SO good and so perfect for a nice weeknight dinner. Love it!
Natasha says
Thank you Karly 🙂 I don't think it's wrong 😉
Daphnedawn says
I am so looking forward to eating this. I doubled it but it’s not thickening...any suggestions?
Natasha says
Hi! The sauce isn’t thick in this one. You could add some flour or a cornstarch slurry if you really want to thicken it up, though.
LifeStyleTalks says
This pastadish looks delicious!
Natasha says
Thanks!
Alida Ryder says
This pasta looks absolutely mouth-watering Natasha! Just love it!
Natasha says
Thanks so much!!