Gorgonzola cream sauce pasta with sausage and peas is loaded with wonderful flavors and textures. Simple to make with just a few ingredients, this decadent pasta can be on your table in about 30 minutes.
There is something so comforting about pasta with creamy gorgonzola sauce.
It's rich in flavor and the addition of crumbled Italian sausage and bright green peas adds wonderful texture variety to this dish.
Since creamy gorgonzola pasta with sausage and peas is so easy to make it is right up with there with some of the best weeknight pastas that taste more complicated than they are, like linguine al limone or shrimp Alfredo.
So if you're short on time but still want a decadent pasta, read on for our step-by-step instructions, and our top tips.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons of kosher salt per gallon of water) to boil. Chop 3 medium-sized shallots and mince 3 tablespoons of parsley.
- Heat a very large pan to medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and saute 1 pound of bulk Italian sausage until browned and cooked through (about 7 minutes). Remove the sausage from the pan and set it aside on a plate covered with foil.
- Once your water is boiling, add 1 pound of rigatoni or other tubular pasta such as penne, ziti, or paccheri. Cook the pasta to 1 minute less than al dente and be sure to reserve 2 cups of pasta water, although you may not need it all. Note: We recommend using a pasta spider and saving all the pasta water when preparing any of our pasta recipes.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the chopped shallots and saute until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
- Once the shallots are soft, add 8 ounces of frozen peas, 1 cup of heavy cream, and 6 ounces of gorgonzola dolce. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Once simmering, return the sausage to the pan and give it a stir.
- Add the pasta to the pan along with ½ cup of reserved pasta water. Cook the pasta stirring frequently just until it reaches al dente.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the minced parsley. Taste test the sauce and make any adjustments to salt and pepper, to taste. We recommend adding a good amount of pepper as it pairs well with gorgonzola cream sauce. If the pasta is at all dry, add some of the reserved pasta water a little at a time to bring the consistency back to perfect. Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, or Pecorino Romano, and more fresh black pepper. Enjoy!
Top tips for gorgonzola cream sauce pasta
- The pasta. We used large rigatoni for these photos but any tubular-shaped pasta would work well, such as penne, ziti, mezzi rigatoni, or paccheri. Shells would also be great here as would gnocchi.
- The cheese. Gorgonzola dolce is creamier and milder than the crumbly gorgonzola piccante which is why we recommend using dolce for the sauce. We used 6 ounces for the recipe which allowed for a mellow gorgonzola flavor but if you want something a little stronger, increase the amount of gorgonzola. Another suggestion for those who love gorgonzola is to crumble some gorgonzola piccante on top of the pasta once it's done.
- The sausage. We used mild bulk Italian sausage for this recipe. If you can't find bulk sausage, simply buy the sausage links and remove the sausage from the casing.
- Save your pasta water! As with any cream sauce pasta, we want to stress how important it is to save your pasta water. It's likely that the gorgonzola cream sauce will dry out while you're waiting to eat and a little bit of reserved pasta water can help bring the pasta back to a glossy, creamy consistency.
More pastas you'll love
If you love sausage gorgonzola pasta, we think you'll also enjoy these other recipes:
- Pasta alla Norcina - pasta with sausage in a white wine cream sauce with a touch of nutmeg.
- Pasta alla Boscaiola - mushrooms, sausage, and rosemary tossed with pasta in a white wine cream sauce.
- Beans and greens sausage pasta - sweet fennel sausage tossed with escarole, spinach, cannellini beans, and pasta in a garlicky white wine sauce.
- Sausage pasta fagioli - crumbled Italian sausage with penne pasta, butter beans, and cannellini beans.
- Creamy Italian sausage pasta - pappardelle and sausage tossed in a tomato-based creamy white wine sauce.
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Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni or penne, ziti, paccheri
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 3 medium shallots chopped
- 8 ounces frozen peas
- 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
- 6 ounces gorgonzola dolce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups reserved pasta water will not need it all, but always good to save.
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.
- Heat a very large pan to medium heat and saute the sausage in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until browned (about 7 minutes). Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside covered with foil.
- At this time begin boiling the rigatoni to 1 minute less than al dente.
- Add the remaining olive to the pan along with the shallots. Saute until soft (about 4-5 minutes) then add in the peas, cream, and gorgonzola cheese. Bring the sauce to a simmer then return the sausage to the pan.
- Add the pasta to the pan along with a ½ cup of pasta water. Cook the pasta stirring frequently, until it reaches just al dente.
- Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the parsley. Taste test the sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste. A good amount of pepper is recommended.
- If the pasta gets dry just add some of the reserved pasta water, a bit at a time, to bring the consistency back to perfect. Serve with grated parmesan or Pecorino and fresh black pepper. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 4 very large servings or 6 moderate sized.
- Gorgonzola dolce is preferred for its creaminess and lighter flavor than piccante.
- If the pasta dries out at all just add a touch of the reserved pasta water to loosen it up and mix well before serving.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 730kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.1g | Protein: 30.1g | Fat: 45.5g | Saturated Fat: 16.7g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 861mg | Potassium: 558mg | Fiber: 1.9g | Sugar: 2.3g | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 4mg
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I made this yesterday and it was fantastic. You are turning me into a great cook with all of these super Italian recipes.
Hi Ron, happy to hear you're liking the recipes! Thanks for the comment!
Love, love, this dish. Easy to make, for one cook. It is in our top ten best list, and now, one of our family favorites. Can not wait to serve this to our next guests. Your recipes are making me look good, love it. Thank you, for such yummy food, and a really enjoyable show.👍 to the taster.
Hi Ana, thanks for this comment! I'm so happy you're enjoying the recipes and that this one is on your top 10 list!
Let me say this OH MY LORDY LORDY LORDY! What a delicious and easy to prepare dish. Didn’t tell hubs about the Gorgonzola (he hates it) just said cream sauce and I think (after 40 years) he’s going to ask me to marry him AGAIN!
Thank you Jim for recipes that inspire and videos that teach home cooks like me we CAN make dishes that are insanely easy but restaurant quality.
By the way I appreciate how promptly you reply to questions and your support 👍👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Hi Robyn, I am so happy you and your husband enjoyed this one! Thanks for watching the videos and for commenting!
Hi Jim I try lots of your
Recipes & love to enjoy them all!
Hi Tom, so glad you're enjoying the recipes and appreciate the comment!
Hi Jim , Thank you soooo much for sharing all your wonderful recipes, My Husband & I are Enjoying each and every one !
Hi Anne, thank you for the comment and I'm glad you and your husband are enjoying the recipes!
Made this today with leftover turkey instead of sausage. Worked well.
Hi Larry, great use of leftover turkey and so happy you enjoyed it!
Hi! Going to try this this Christmas. Could I omit meat completely and still have same outcome?
Hi Amanda, yes, this would be good without the meat. Hope you enjoy.
I've made this dish twice and both were hits with massive raves! The gorgonzola dolce added just enough of that delicious "funk," but light enough that my 7 year old daughter thought it was a fancy alfredo sauce. I used campanelle pasta and the sauce did a great job sticking to the nook and crannies. I didn't use all the gorgonzola the first time so the second time I made it with large fusilli and substituted corn as I ran out of peas and my husband loved it. This will be a go-to in our household for sure.
Hi Caroline, so happy you enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment. Thanks!
This sounds very unique. Looking forward to trying in the Spring when sugar snap peas are ready from our garden.
Hope you enjoy this one as well, Deborah!
Made this today exactly as the recipe list of ingredients. Result a perfect balance of flavours. Delicious! 😋 😋 😋 and fast and easy. Thanks so much!
Hi Marthanne, so happy you enjoyed this one and appreciate the comment and review!
I thought this was delicious, tasted like a restaurant meal.
Hi Mary, so happy you enjoyed this one and appreciate the comment!
Awesome recipe, big hit with the family. Very easy and quick to make, ingredients spot on, I skipped the parley at the end. As the recipe highlights, make sure to reserve plenty of pasta water depending on timing/serve the meal.
This recipe is joining the rotation along w the all time favorite host rib ragu
Big fan of the channel, keep up the great work.
Thanks so much for the comment and so happy you're enjoying the recipes and channel!
Just made it tonight with a jar of marinara sauce waiting in the wing, but didn’t need it. Absolutely delicious!
Hi JJ, so happy you enjoyed and really appreciate the comment!
I made this today. Found DeCecco Paccheri no.125, large rigatoni noodles. Perfect pasta for this easy and absolutely delicious meal! Doubled the gorgonzola - we are fans - and added a dash of Calabrian chili flakes. I love all your recipes and the way you explain them. Thank you!
Hi Carol, so happy you enjoyed this one and the other recipes and really appreciate the comment!