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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!

I think you’ll also like my Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup, Easy Italian Sausage Tomato Pasta, or this One Pan Creamy Gnocchi with Sausage.

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

Why you’ll love it

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.

The sauce is creamy, but not too creamy if you know what I mean. It’s tomato-y first and foremost. I am not a huge spice person, and I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. It has just enough zing, in my opinion. And it’s ready in just 30 minutes!

What you’ll need

  • Pasta – penne goes really well with this spicy Italian sausage pasta recipe. The little tubes are perfect for that sauce.
  • Sausage – I chose Johnsonville hot Italian sausages
  • Garlic – for added savory flavor
  • Chicken broth – the base of the sauce, or use a dry white wine for a fancy touch
  • Flour – to thicken the sauce
  • Canned diced tomatoes – they’re convenient and canned at the peak of ripeness
  • Heavy cream – it helps mellow some of that acidity from the tomatoes and spice from the sausage and make the sauce silky
  • Basil – for a pop of freshness
ingredients for spicy italian sausage pasta in prep bowls

Tools for this recipe

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How to make spicy Italian sausage pasta

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

browning sausage meat in a skillet and whisking in garlic and flour and broth

Cook the pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a skillet, then transfer to a plate. Drain most of the excess fat. Add the garlic and chicken broth to the pan, then the flour. Whisk until incorporated, and scrape up the browned bits.

making the sauce for spicy italian sausage pasta in a skillet, and adding in penne and fresh basil

Let it reduce for a couple of minutes. Add in the canned tomatoes and cream, and return the sausage meat. Cook until thickened, and season with salt & pepper. Right before serving, add the basil, then toss with the drained pasta. Top with parmesan if using.

Substitutions and variations

  • I like penne for this one, but you’re welcome to use another shape if you wish.
  • 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.
  • I don’t recommend substituting the cream for something with less fat. The sauce may curdle, and it won’t taste as intended.
Italian sausage penne close-up

What to serve with spicy sausage pasta

Leftovers and storage

  • Store leftover sausage pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
  • Reheat in a saucepan slowly over a low heat.
  • You could freeze this one, but keep in mind the texture of the pasta may change.
closeup of a skillet with spicy italian sausage pasta

Hope you’ll love this hot Italian sausage pasta recipe! Questions? Let me know in the comments below. Please leave a star rating and review! Find me on Instagram too.

Italian sausage penne close-up
4.91 from 143 votes

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!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 8 ounces uncooked penne
  • 11 ounces hot Italian sausages see note
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth or white wine
  • 1/2 tablespoon flour
  • 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
  • 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Small handful fresh basil sliced/torn into small pieces
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, take the sausage meat out of the casings and crumble it into a skillet. Cook it for about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, over medium-high heat until browned.
  • Once the sausage is browned, take it out of the pan and transfer to a plate. If there's a lot of excess fat left in the skillet, drain most of it.
  • To the skillet, add the garlic, followed by the chicken broth. 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 11 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: 607kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 16g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 833mg, Potassium: 556mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 586IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 83mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.

Leave a star rating and comment below!

This recipe was originally published on June 6, 2016. It’s been tweaked to be even easier, tastier, and has new photos!


Hi! Iโ€™m Natasha.

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4.91 from 143 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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380 Comments

  1. Shannon says:

    The nutritional information how much of a serving size is it based on?

    1. Natasha says:

      1/4 of the recipe. Nutrition info is calculated automatically from a database of ingredients and is just an estimate. You’d have to weigh your own ingredients and plug it into something like My Fitness Pal for info beyond that.

  2. Heather says:

    3 stars
    I have to say I was a bit disappointed. Even taking into account the ease of this recipe I was underwhelmed. Maybe my sausage wasn’t flavorful enough or I’ve just spoiled my tongue. This was just ok. Some suggestions to give it a flavor kick at the end might be good.

    1. Michelle says:

      5 stars
      Made this tonight and it was fantastic and easy, thank you so much! I was wondering what to do with hot Italian sausage and this recipe was perfect. Everyone loved it and it was very flavorful.

      1. Natasha says:

        You’re very welcome!

  3. Hailee S. says:

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing recipe. Bought some hot sausage to put in the boring ole buns, but I came across this recipe & itโ€™s now a fan favorite in my house! The sauce is creamy & flavorful, with the sausage giving it an extra kick of flavor!

    1. Natasha says:

      Yay!!

  4. Diana says:

    5 stars
    I absolutely LOVED this recipe! I had some sweet Italian sausage in the freezer and we are on a โ€œmissionโ€ to go through all our frozen meats so we can buy some local meat. I didnโ€™t want a pasta with a jar sauce, something more โ€œfreshโ€ tasting! I had made an Asian story fry and had some lovely fresh asparagus tips left over so I threw some in at the last minute. YUMMMMM! I did add a bit more of the wine and cream so it truly tasted like a Vodka Sauce. Thank you so much!๐Ÿ˜Š

    1. Natasha says:

      Love that!

  5. Julie says:

    5 stars
    Wonderful! I fell in love with the chicken fettuccine recipe and now have found another! I had some hot italian sausage and needed a recipe!

    1. Natasha says:

      Thanks, Julie!! ๐Ÿ˜€

  6. Jesse says:

    5 stars
    Excellent
    My wife loved it

    1. Natasha says:

      Yay!! Thanks, Jesse!

  7. Kathlene Holzhauer says:

    5 stars
    I was looking for a way to use the italian sausage sitting in the refrigerator. I had everything in the recipe and it’s just yum! I used the white wine and a chickpea pasta.

    1. Natasha says:

      That’s great!! ๐Ÿ˜€

  8. Drew says:

    Hello. Spicy lover here. I added fire roasted tomatoes and an onion and jalapeรฑo or two :). Love the recipe thought I’d add the spicy version for consideration

    1. Natasha says:

      Sounds good to me, Drew!

  9. mike says:

    5 stars
    great taste, tastes even better the next day. my new favourite meal

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m thrilled to hear that, Mike!

      1. Nicole says:

        This was delish! Hubby loved it .. thanks for sharing.

        1. Natasha says:

          You’re welcome!

  10. Andrew G says:

    5 stars
    Great and easy version of this recipe. Fresh Basil is definitely worth it!! We get a basil plant every year at our local nursery and have it available. It is easy to grow and great to have around. One plant will last until the fall and costs the same as on package of fresh basil in the grocery!

    1. Natasha says:

      Yes! I have one of those too… I just sometimes forget to water it hahaha.