This Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta is so creamy and so full of flavor! Hot buttered pasta is tossed with Italian sausage and spinach in the creamiest, garlicky parmesan sauce. Pure comfort food on the table in under 30 minutes!
Coming back at you today with another amazing pasta dish that’s quick and oh so easy. Two things we love around here are pasta (!) and a quick weeknight dinner. This Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta nails them both!
My family loves this Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta. I love how easy it is to make.
The flavor of the Italian sausage permeates the sauce after a short 10 minute simmer. The sauce is so creamy and has just the right amount of garlic and just the right amount of parmesan. Everything perfectly balanced. Baby spinach adds color and sneaks in some veggies. You have to try it to believe how good it is. This is one of those cases when the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts.
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How to make Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
A little onion and garlic are sautéed in olive oil until softened. Then Italian sausage is added – with the casings removed. If your sausage doesn’t have fennel in it, add a half teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds - the fennel is what really gives it amazing flavor.
When the sausage is brown, deglaze the pan with chicken broth. Add cream, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning and let it come to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and slowly add the parmesan cheese while whisking or stirring it in. Turning off the heat first is important. If you add the parmesan to a bubbling sauce and it gets too hot, too fast, it may seize and clump up – completely ruining the dish. You’ll end up with big clumps of cheese and spinach all stuck together. (I ate those clumps so you wouldn’t have to. 🙂 )
Stir in some baby spinach – you can leave it whole or roughly chop it, however you like.
Combine the sauce with the hot buttered pasta.
Serving
Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta is best served right after combining the sauce and the pasta. The sauce can be made ahead and gently reheated before tossing with the penne just before serving. If I cook this dish an hour or so in advance, I keep the hot, buttered pasta warm by wrapping it in a blanket and mix it with the sauce at the last minute.
Recipe
Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 1 lb pasta – I used penne (454g)
- 1 tablespoon butter (.5oz, 14g)
For the Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (1.5oz, 42g)
- 1 small onion chopped fine
- 4 cloves garlic chopped fine or put through the garlic press
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage (454g **see note**)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or a mix of dried basil, thyme, marjoram, and oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- ¾ cup chicken broth (6.2oz, 176g)
- 1½ cups heavy cream (12.6oz, 357g)
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (3oz, 85g)
- 8 ounces baby spinach (227g)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For the Pasta:
- Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and toss with butter.
For the Sauce:
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until it is soft and translucent.
- Remove the sausage from casings and add to the pan. Cook until browned.
- Deglaze pan with chicken broth.
- Add Italian seasoning, bay leaf, and heavy cream. Let simmer on low for 10 minutes.
- Off the heat, slowly stir in parmesan cheese and whisk or stir until melted.
- Stir in baby spinach. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss with hot buttered pasta and serve immediately.
Notes
- **If your sausage doesn't contain fennel seed, toast ½ teaspoon fennel seeds in a pan until they become aromatic, then pound in a mortar and pestle and add to sausage.
Nutrition
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Stacey @ The Sugar Coated Cottage says
This looks like a divine dinner! Everything I love in a meal and the flavors the sausage brings must be heavenly. Take care.
Kelly says
It's wonderful! That ten minutes simmering time lets all the flavors meld together. Thanks so much, Stacey!
David @ Spiced says
Yet again you nailed it, Kelly! This type of recipe just screams my name for dinner tonight! You know what's funny, though? I didn't used to like Italian sausage with fennel. It actually made me shy away from ever using it. But then I met Laura (she's half-Italian) and I quickly got over that Italian sausage + fennel fear. Now I love it! Bring on the plate of pasta. I'm totally pinning this one right now for later!
Kelly says
Ahh you must get to enjoy so much Italian food! So lucky! My family's faces brighten up when they see this pasta is for dinner. Thanks so much, David!
Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says
This pasta dish would be a huge hit at our house Kelly. A rich creamy sauce and hearty, satisfying sausage make for one delicious meal!
Kelly says
My family loves it! Thanks so much, Mary Ann!
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
I could eat pasta every day and this is no exception! Looks great!
Kelly says
Pasta is definitely our go-to-dinner when we want something quick and delicious! Thanks so much, Abbe!
Sabrina says
Yum! I love everything about this recipe, the fennel, the Parmesan, and I like Ron’s idea of arugula too as my garden grows tons of it. Thanks for this great easy recipe, perfect for family dinner 🙂
Kelly says
When I was developing this recipe, I was actually deciding between arugula and spinach. I think the arugula would be wonderful! Thanks so much, Sabrina!
Haylie / Our Balanced Bowl says
Girrrrl, you're speaking my language! I'll take creamy pasta vs red sauce pasta anyday!! It makes it so much more luxurious and rich - and this dish definitely fits the bill! So yummy! I could eat way too much of this LOL!
Kelly says
We love creamy pasta - it's so delicious! Thanks so much, Haylie!
John / Kitchen Riffs says
Mmm, quick and SO good! Love sausage and a creamy gravy -- good stuff. Thanks!
Kelly says
That's why it's a family favorite! Thanks so much, John!
marcie says
This is a dish that all of the men in my house would love! The sausage, garlic and cream are such a great combination, and I love how easy this is. This is such a beautiful dish Kelly!
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Marcie! It really is a wonderful dish!
sherry says
this sounds really delicious kelly. love the idea of adding toasted fennel seeds to the dish. cheers sherry
Kelly says
The fennel in the Italian sausage is what gives the dish great flavor. Thanks so much, Sherry!
Healthy World Cuisine says
Quick, easy and delicious are always the weekday recipes we want to hear about. This week has been the longest one on record and it is only Tuesday. We are certain this will be on our menu tomorrow for sure. Be sure to follow us on instagram and use the hashtag #noodleswithoutborders for all your pasta and noodle recipes. Every 1st Tuesday of every month we feature noodles from around the world. Come and join the fun. Just pinned!
Kelly says
That is one long week! 🙂 Thanks so much!
Cookie Monster says
My family loves this Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta.
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Cookie Monster!
2pots2cook says
Everything that includes Italian sausage is perfect for us. Thank you so much Kelly !
Kelly says
It gives the whole dish amazing flavor! Thanks so much, Davorka!
angiesrecipes says
That creamy sausage sauce looks too darn good!
Kelly says
Thanks so much, Angie! It really is!
Frank Saho says
Thanks,
I think I will have to try this.
Kelly says
Thanks, Dad! 🙂 Hope you like it!
Ron says
Kelly, this sounds yummy to me. We too are always looking for tasty, simple meals for weeknight dinners, so this one is a keeper. I'm thinking this just might do well with arugula in place of the spinach (I'm not much for spinach). Thanks for the great tutorial and fantastic images of your Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta.
Kelly says
Couldn't get by without quick dinners! Arugula would be excellent in this dish. Thanks so much, Ron!