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.
Natalie Coplan says
Hello,
I was going to make this before hand and put in a casserole pan then reheat for my dinner party. How do you think it will hold up? Become dry? Any suggestions? Thank you!
Natasha says
Hi Natalie!! Are you planning on cooking the pasta as well ahead of time? I think if you cooked the sauce separately and reheated slowly over a low heat and boiled the pasta right before serving, you'd have much better results than putting the final product together in a casserole dish. With cream sauces especially, they can easily separate and/or become oily, and yeah, especially if tossed with the pasta and reheated, also prone to drying out, unfortunately. If you really want to go that route, I'd probably add more cream to the sauce or double it.
Christina says
Thank you so much for this amazing recipe! We make it at least twice a month!
Natasha says
You're very welcome! 😀
Carol says
We loved this!!
Natasha says
Yay!!
Bea says
This recipe was delicious! I used orichette pasta and added mushrooms and shallots. I also used halved cherry tomatoes instead of sun dried because the husband doesn’t like it. Don’t be afraid of extra garlic and lemon/ wine!
Natasha says
Agreed! And thank you! 🙂