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    Home » All Recipes » Pasta » Italian Sausage Pasta

    Italian Sausage Pasta

    Published on Sep 28, 2018 by Jim · Updated on Jan 25, 2022 · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. · 28 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Sausage.  Cream.  Pasta.  These three words, when combined, might just be my favorite phrase ever.  The tomato-based cream sauce provides a velvety backdrop to the sweet fennel sausage, and the pappardelle proves to be the perfect medium to deliver both right to your mouth.  And the best part - this can be on your table (and in your mouth) in no time!

    Table set with the Sweet Italian sausage pasta in cream sauce.

    This is one of those ground sausage recipes that imparts so much flavor into a sauce.   The flavor of the Italian sausage is so key in this hearty dish so buy the best sausage you can get!

    Overhead shot of pasta in bowl.

    Process

    Ingredients shown: pasta, tomato paste, plum tomatoes, onions, sausage.

    Shown are most of the ingredients.

     

    Chopped garlic and onions.

    First step is to roughly chop the onions and garlic.  If you like the garlic or onion more finely chopped go for it.

    Removing sausage casing.

    Remove the sausage casing by making a slit.

    Sauteing garlic and onions.

    Saute the onions and garlic in 2 Tablespoons of olive oil for 5 minutes on medium-low.  The objective is to sweat them but not burn the onions.

    Sauteing the sausage in large pan.

    The next step is to saute all of the ground Italian sausage.  Turn the heat to medium and break up the sausage with the back of a wooden spoon.

    Browned Italian sausage.

    After about 20 minutes of sauteing the sausage will be nice and brown.  If you have any large clumps of sausage now is the time to break them up.

    Crushed tomatoes in large glass bowl.

    Crush one 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes with your hands in a large bowl.   Be careful to not splatter - I do this in my sink.   Alternatively, a two second pulse in a blender is fine.

    Crushed tomatoes added to the sauteed sweet Italian sausage.

    Add the crushed tomatoes to the sauteed sweet Italian sausage.  Also add the full 6 ounces of tomato paste, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and a ½ teaspoon of dried oregano.  Stir it all together - cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 30 minutes on medium to medium-low.

    While the sauce is cooking boil the pasta according to the package directions.  Before draining the pasta reserve 3 cups of pasta water.  This is very important!

    Sweet Italian sausage sauce in pan with tomatoes.

    After 30 mins of cooking remove the lid and add 1 cup of pasta water and stir all the sauce together.  Let it cook for 5 minutes to blend well.

    Cream added to pan.

    Finally turn the heat to low and add 1 cup of cream and stir it all together.  Let it cook for 2 minutes to fully incorporate.

    Sweet Italian sausage pasta in cream sauce featured image.

    Add the pasta to a large bowl and spoon the sauce all over.   Don't use all the sauce unless you need to.  There might be leftovers depending on the pasta used.  Mix the sauce and pasta together well.

    If the sauce is a little too thick and the pasta is a little dry add a ½ cup of pasta water or more.  This will help in getting the exact right consistency in the sauce/pasta ratio. 

    More Comforting Pasta Recipes

    • Sausage and Peppers Rigatoni
    • Pasta alla Norcina
    • Authentic Bolognese With Pappardelle
    • Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
    • Authentic Italian Meatballs And Sunday Sauce Recipe
    • Bucatini Cacio E Pepe
    • Pasta Alla Norma

    If you like this recipe give it a share!  Leave a comment.  We would love to know how you did and it’s nice to show others as well.  

    Follow us over on our Youtube channel where we are working to make every single recipe on this site into a full-length instructional video.  Right below is the Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta video.

    We are also on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.  We appreciate you reading this and making our recipes!  Thanks!

    Sweet Italian sausage pasta in cream sauce featured image.

    Italian Sausage Pasta In Cream Sauce

    4.91 from 10 votes
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 45 mins
    Total Time: 55 mins
    Servings: 8
    Print Pin Rate
    Author: James

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound pappardelle pasta
    • 1.5-2 pounds sweet Italian sausage
    • 8 cloves chopped garlic
    • 1 medium chopped onion
    • 28 oz whole plum tomatoes
    • 6 oz tomato paste
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 tsp kosher salt
    • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
    • ½ tsp dried oregano
    • 2 Tbsp olive oil
    • 3 cups pasta water
    • 1 cup grated Parmigiano or Pecorino
    • ¼ cup fresh chopped basil

    Instructions

    • Chop onion and garlic roughly.  Pulse plum tomatoes in blender or break about gently in large bowl with hands.  Remove all the sausage from casings.
    • Saute garlic and onions on medium-low heat for 5 minutes to soften.
    • Add ground sausage to pan and turn heat to medium.  Saute sausage for roughly 20 minutes.  Break sausage apart with wooden spoon during the saute process.
    • Add the salt, crushed pepper, oregano, crushed tomatoes, and tomato paste to the sausage and stir it all together.  Cover and cook on medium to medium low for 30 minutes.
    • Boil pasta according to package directions.  Before draining pasta reserve 3 cups of pasta water.
    • Remove lid from sauce at 30 minutes and add 1 cup of pasta water.  Stir together and cook for 5 more minutes uncovered.  
    • Turn heat to low and add cream.  Stir together well and cook for 2 more minutes.  Taste sauce and adjust salt or pepper if necessary. 
    • Place cooked pasta in a large bowl and spoon the sausage sauce all over the pasta.  Do not go overboard with the sauce as you might have extra.  
    • Mix the sauce and pasta together and if it is not creamy enough add a ½ cup of pasta water to loosen the sauce.  Do this in small increments to get the perfect consistency.
    • Finally add the chopped basil and serve in bowls with Italian bread, grated cheese, and (if any) the extra sauce.  Enjoy!

    Notes

    • Make sure to use heavy cream to avoid breaking the sauce.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 585kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 35g | Sodium: 770mg
    Did you make this recipe? Mention @sipandfeast or tag #sipandfeast
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Haylie Abele

      September 29, 2018 at 5:14 pm

      5 stars
      Always love your process shots, James! That one with the sauce after you poured in the cream is swoon worthy! This recipe sounds so amazing - so rich and delicious! I can't wait to try it!

      Reply
      • James

        September 30, 2018 at 12:21 pm

        Thanks Haylie. My goal is to really step up the amount of process shots. It's definitely one of those hard to resist comfort dishes.

        Reply
    2. sheenam | thetwincookingproject.net

      September 30, 2018 at 12:36 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my!!! This pasta looks so good!!! Yummy.

      Reply
      • James

        October 02, 2018 at 9:12 pm

        Thanks very much!

        Reply
    3. Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen

      October 03, 2018 at 11:11 pm

      This is such a delicious comfort food dinner! The creamy sausage sauce sounds amazing!

      Reply
      • James

        October 04, 2018 at 9:06 pm

        Thanks for the comment Kristine. It's definitely one of our favorites!

        Reply
    4. Katie

      January 21, 2020 at 7:06 pm

      5 stars
      Two enthusiastic thumbs up from my family, toddler included. We served over Banza and it didn’t compromise the sauce at all! So so yummy!

      Reply
      • Jim

        January 22, 2020 at 8:53 am

        That's great to hear. I'm happy you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    5. Andy C

      April 28, 2020 at 2:28 pm

      4 stars
      Very easy to make and full of flavour, instant hit with the family. Even two fussy kids, definitely make this again

      Reply
      • Jim

        April 28, 2020 at 4:28 pm

        Great to hear! Glad you all enjoyed it.

        Reply
    6. Karen

      April 24, 2021 at 8:05 pm

      5 stars
      I am giving this 5 stars before the sauce is even finished because hubby smelled it as he came home, then tasted the sauce and declared it delicious! Will be in my rotation of dinners.

      Reply
      • Jim

        April 26, 2021 at 10:06 am

        Thanks so much! This is one of our go-to recipes. I'm glad it's now one of yours!

        Reply
    7. Sally

      May 09, 2021 at 2:41 pm

      Can I use crushed tomatoes instead of pulse plum tomatoes?

      Reply
      • Jim

        May 10, 2021 at 10:01 pm

        Absolutely. Any quality crushed tomato would be fine. Enjoy!

        Reply
    8. Justine

      August 10, 2021 at 7:18 pm

      Fabulous recipe!! Do you have a cookbook out? TY TY TY for this recipe!!!!!
      I made your pork chop + vinegar pepper recipe. Sooo good. The key was cooking the pork chops at 325 degrees for 1 1/2. Wow delicious.

      Reply
      • Jim

        August 11, 2021 at 10:05 pm

        Hey thank you! I'm glad you liked both this one and the pork chops. I plan to get a book out within the next 12-18 months. Until then, I'll keep posting weekly recipes.

        Reply
    9. Marina

      August 11, 2021 at 8:30 pm

      5 stars
      Made this dish for dinner today! It was super easy to make! And it was really delicious! My husband, went back for 3rds! Both of my sons also loved it!
      Thank you for another winning dish! 💕

      Reply
      • Jim

        August 11, 2021 at 10:08 pm

        Glad to hear you all enjoyed it! Appreciate you making the recipes and leaving feedback.

        Reply
    10. Darlene E. Lockrem

      December 07, 2021 at 10:27 pm

      5 stars
      You always make cooking fun and so easy to follow. Watching your videos I learn something new every day, it's a pleasure to watch them and in my case, I often watch them 4-5 or 6 times.

      Reply
      • Jim

        December 08, 2021 at 10:16 am

        Hi Darlene. Thanks for watching the videos. I find video instruction is so important even for a very well-written recipe. My goal is to make every written recipe here into a long-form hosted video. Glad they are providing value to you and I hope you enjoy this recipe.

        Reply
    11. Tom

      February 05, 2022 at 7:25 pm

      5 stars
      Phenomenal! Easy to make but tastes like a million bucks.

      Reply
      • Jim

        February 05, 2022 at 11:08 pm

        Hey Tom. Really glad you enjoyed the recipe!

        Reply
    12. David Shultis

      February 13, 2022 at 8:49 pm

      5 stars
      I've been watching your videos on YouTube for awhile now. I finally got enough nerve to try one...this one. It turn out great. I added some mushrooms and spinach to it. My entire family enjoyed it. It will not be long before I try another one of your recipes. My wife was calling me "Chef" all night. hehehe

      Reply
      • Jim

        February 14, 2022 at 10:07 am

        Hi David. Really glad you and the family enjoyed it. Thanks for watching my videos, chef!

        Reply
    13. Steven BALL

      February 23, 2022 at 6:04 pm

      5 stars
      from southern california keep cooking

      Reply
      • Jim

        February 25, 2022 at 1:57 pm

        Thank you, Steven!

        Reply
    14. Sara Wignovich

      May 14, 2022 at 7:20 pm

      A flavor explosion! Delicious!

      Reply
      • Jim

        May 14, 2022 at 8:33 pm

        Hi Sarah, thank you, and glad you liked the recipe!

        Reply

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    About Jim

    Welcome! I'm Jim and I'm here to help you make awesome Italian food that you would normally enjoy at some of your favorite New York style Italian restaurants. While my recipes are typically Italian, you'll find some other great ones as well. Take a look around, and get cooking!

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