This creamy Tuscan sausage pasta is a super easy and incredibly comforting and flavorful weeknight dinner recipe!
Oh man... I really liked this creamy sausage pasta recipe. I kept sneaking bites of the sauce before the pasta was cooked. I'm so bad at doing that. And I always forget to put the water on for the pasta. Sometimes until the sauce is entirely finished. I'll never learn...
I have a few "Tuscan" (basically the sun-dried tomato + spinach combo and usually some basil and cream and plenty of garlic) recipes on here including my Tuscan chicken pasta, creamy Tuscan chicken breasts, Tuscan salmon, creamy Tuscan ravioli, and Tuscan shrimp. They're all variations of the same popular recipe. I just can't get enough of these flavors.
I had some Italian sausage in the fridge that needed using up, so this is where the idea for this recipe came from. Just adding another winner to the Tuscan collection. 😛
Recipe notes & tips:
- I used 3 sausages out of a 5-pack of Johnsonville Mild Italian sausages... you can add a bit more or less and it won't make or break the recipe.
- I used mild Italian sausage, but if you prefer some heat, try hot Italian or add a pinch of cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes to this dish.
- The Dijon mustard doesn't make the sauce taste "mustardy". It just adds more depth to the overall flavor. It's a trick I use in many cream sauces.
- I used fettuccine in this spinach sausage pasta recipe, but you can use any pasta you have on-hand. I tend to always prefer the "noodles" over the shapes, but to each their own. Want to try making your own pasta to make this dish extra special? My friend Krissy has a homemade pasta recipe for that. 🙂
- I've made this without basil before, but I do recommend adding it if you can.
Love sausage with pasta? Try these recipes:
Will you make this Tuscan sausage pasta? Do you love the sun-dried tomatoes/spinach combo as much as I do? Let me know in the comments below! Made this recipe? I'd love if wrote me a review and/or shared this recipe with a friend.
Tuscan Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta (I used fettuccine)
- 10.6 ounces Italian sausages crumbled
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1.5 cups baby spinach (loosely packed)
- Small handful fresh basil chopped finely
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Take the sausages out of their casings and crumble the meat into a skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's nicely browned on the outside.
- Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. If there's a lot of fat, discard most of it.
- Add the garlic, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, flour, and lemon juice to the pan. Stir until well combined (be sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan) and let it bubble for a minute or two.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cream to the pan. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sausage back into the pan. Cook for another few minutes until the sauce has thickened up a bit.
- Stir in the basil and spinach. Let it cook for a minute or so until it wilts. Give the sauce a taste and season with extra salt & pepper if needed.
- Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. Serve immediately with some freshly grated parmesan if desired.
Notes
- I used the julienned sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil and drained the oil prior to adding them to the pan.
- I used 3 sausages from a 5-pack of Johnsonville mild Italian sausages. Anything in the ballpark weight-wise will work.
- 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.
Wendy Waterman says
Absolute hit! There weren’t any leftovers! Will definitely make this dish again
Natasha says
Excellent! I'm thrilled to hear that, Wendy.
Julie Tranter says
This is such a delicious pasta! Comes together in less than 30 minutes and is so flavourful.
I used hot Italian sausage which gives a nice punch of heat.
Thank you!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! You're very welcome! 🙂
Sean Roberts says
Loved this recipe, such a nice change from my go-to tomato based sauce. Also added 1/2 tsp of Fennel seeds and of Chilli flakes into the mix and it was delicious.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Thanks for letting me know, Sean!
Catie says
My family LOVES this recipe and request it often. It also makes a great dinner to deliver to a friend (just have them keep the sauce separate until ready to eat). We use hot italian sausage instead of the mild.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! I'm so glad your family loves it, Catie! Thanks for letting me know. And that's so nice of you to bring it to your friends! 🙂
W says
We had a locally-made sausage to use up and some fresh filled pasta and needed a way to bring the two together. While we didn’t do this recipe exactly, the proportions for the sauce were exactly what I needed, as cream sauces are not my forte. Thank you!! I look forward to doing this properly soon but had to share my gratitude and tell others they should use it.
Natasha says
You're welcome!! So happy this recipe inspired you 🙂
Pat says
Really good and not tough to make
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it, Pat! 😀
Melissa says
Absolutely loved this tasty meal!
Natasha says
Excellent!! Thank you! 🙂
brent kinsfather says
A NEW #1 favorite!!!
Natasha says
Thank you so much!
Amanda says
This looks delicious and I've just read some of the comments that rave about it so can't wait to try... could you please let me know what is best to subsitute the cream as I can't have dairy? Thank you
Natasha says
Hi Amanda! Unfortunately, I haven't found anything that can be swapped for cream that truly has the same taste/texture/properties. Some people use coconut milk in my recipes with success, but it won't have the same taste or texture. Other readers recommend alternatives like Silk brand dairy-free whipping cream, but I have not tested it myself.
Amanda says
okay thanks, I'm UK based so don't know what Silk is, may give a go with Coconut cream, thanks
Natasha says
I am not familiar with brands over there, but it might be worth checking to see if you can find a dairy-free cream and experimenting with it. I believe that "double cream" is what the equivalent to heavy cream would be in the UK. So maybe there's a dairy-free sub? In any case, let me know how it goes!
Larissa M. says
This pasta is unreal. 10/10!! I doubled the sauce as lots of people recommended. A new family favourite!
Natasha says
Thrilled you liked it! Thank you!
Christina says
Made this tonight exactly as written, but doubled our for our family of four big pasta fans. An absolute hit! Next time I might reserve some pasta water to stir back in at the end, but it was fantastic regardless.
Natasha says
Awesome!! I'm so glad you liked it.
Danae says
Really delicious! I used mushrooms instead of sun dried tomatoes because it was what I had on hand. Also substituted beef broth instead of chicken. The whole family loved it - even the toddlers 🙂
Natasha says
Wonderful!! That's great to hear. 🙂
Dawn Bading says
I loved this dish. I used bucatini pasta and it was a hit in my house!
Natasha says
Fantastic!! Bucatini is one of my favs. 🙂
Nancy Bickner says
We use turkey Italian sausage and this dish turns out superb! One of my family's favorites.
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂
Roxane says
Can you use no sodium chicken broth?
Natasha says
Sure! Salt is a personal preference thing, and Italian sausages generally contain a fair bit, so it'll be just fine. If you find the flavor is lacking, just add a little salt after taste testing. 🙂