Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

This creamy Italian sausage pasta is weeknight comfort food done right. It’s rich, cozy, and bursting with flavor from sausage, garlic, and parmesan.

Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 👩‍🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Pasta Recipes To Try

This creamy Italian sausage pasta is the kind of dish I pull out when I want dinner to feel a little special but I’ve got zero energy for anything fussy. It’s easy enough for a weeknight, but flavorful enough to serve when friends pop over. The combo of garlicky sausage, a splash of cream, a touch of tomato paste (cooked until it smells amazing), and a generous handful of Parmesan just works.

It’s rich and cozy, but not heavy in a “food coma” way. The spinach adds a little freshness and color (and let’s be honest, makes me feel like I’ve made a responsible life choice).

Whether you’re craving something hearty after a long day or just want a one-pan wonder that delivers serious flavor, this one’s a keeper.

A quick note on the Italian sausage: you can usually find it sold as ground sausage meat—already seasoned and ready to go. It also comes in sausage links (mild, sweet, or fennel), and if that’s what you’ve got, just slice open the casing and use the meat inside. It’s fatty, flavorful, and really the star of this dish.

👩‍🍳 You might also like these comforting one-pan meals: creamy pesto chicken pasta, Cajun shrimp pasta, marry me chicken orzo bake, chicken risotto with asparagus, or Spanish one pot chicken rice.

What You’ll Need

Here is what you’ll need for this creamy Italian sausage pasta recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.

• Short pasta like rigatoni or penne – they catch the sauce so well!
• Olive oil – helps brown the sausage and adds flavor.
• Tomato paste – adds umami and that concentrated tomato goodness.
• Chicken broth – lightens the sauce a bit and brings savory depth.
• Cream – the base of that creamy lusciousness. You can use heavy creamy for extra luxurious feel or regular thinner cooking cream, or lighter cream to cut down on calories.
• Parmesan cheese – salty, nutty, and rich. Use fresh and grate yourself for best flavor.
• Red pepper flakes & Italian seasoning – warmth and herby vibes.
• Yellow onion and garlic – the classic flavor duo.
• Fresh spinach – for a hit of green and earthy flavor; you can also throw in kale, chard, broccolini or asparagus.
• Fresh herbs like basil or parsley – totally optional but adds brightness.
• Italian sausage – Mild, sweet, or fennel-spiced. You can buy it ground by the pound at most butcher counters or grocery stores. Or grab sausage links and remove the casing. Most Italian sausage is pork-based, but beef versions exist too. No Italian sausage? You can mix ground pork or beef with fennel seeds, garlic, paprika, oregano, and chili flakes to make your own. It’s not exact, but it’s close enough for a delicious meal.

How To Make Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for creamy Italian sausage pasta.

• Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve some pasta water before draining. You can do this in parallel with below steps.
• Brown the Italian sausage in olive oil, breaking it up into crumbles. Set aside.
• In the same pan, sauté onion until soft. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning.
• Stir in tomato paste and cook until it darkens a little.
• Pour in chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Add cream and the sausage back in.
• Simmer until slightly thickened. Stir in Parmesan until smooth.
• Toss in the pasta and spinach. Add reserved pasta water if needed.
• Finish with fresh herbs and extra cheese. Serve hot!

Recipe Tips/Variations

• Don’t skip cooking the tomato paste for a minute or two—this deepens the flavor and makes it richer.
• Make it ahead: The sauce keeps well in the fridge for a day or two. Reheat gently and toss with freshly cooked pasta.
• Storage: Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of broth or water.
• Add-ins: Mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, or roasted red peppers would all work beautifully.
• Make it spicy: Use hot Italian sausage or add extra chili flakes.
• Want to lighten it up? Swap the heavy cream for light cream, half-and-half, or even a mix of milk and Greek yogurt (just stir the yogurt in off the heat to prevent curdling). Use less Parmesan or go for a hard cheese like Grana Padano, which is still flavorful but a bit leaner. For the sausage, look for leaner Italian-style turkey or chicken sausage — tons of flavor, less fat. And if you’re watching carbs, try a high-fiber pasta or a chickpea-based one to bump up the protein and keep things balanced.

Serving Suggestions

This dish is pretty rich, so a crisp green salad with a tangy vinaigrette is a perfect match. You could also serve it with some crusty bread to soak up every last drop of that sauce. Try these side dishes:

💬 If you’ve tried this creamy Italian sausage pasta or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and or sign up to my Newsletter to see more of my delicious food.

More Pasta Recipes To Try