Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

4.98 from 37 votes

Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

Creamy Italian sausage pasta combines mild fennel sausage and al dente pappardelle in a tomato-based cream sauce that's finished with Pecorino Romano and hand-torn fresh basil.

Prep Time5

Cook Time40

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: James Delmage and Tara

Ingredients

1 pound pappardelle
1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion diced
5 cloves garlic sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 ounces tomato paste
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 14-ounce can plum tomatoes hand crushed or blender pulsed
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups reserved pasta water will most likely not need all of it
3/4 cup Pecorino Romano grated
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup basil leaves hand torn

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted (2 tablespoons kosher salt) water to boil.
Heat a very large pan or Dutch oven to medium-high heat then add in the olive oil and sausage. Brown the sausage until almost cooked through (about 7 minutes).
Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions to the pan. Saute for 3-4 minutes or until softened then add the garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes or until lightly golden. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for another 30 seconds.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wine. Cook for 1-2 minutes to reduce the wine by about half. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove all of the brown bits.
Add the plum tomatoes to the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. At this time begin cooking the pasta to 1 minute less than al dente.
About 5 minutes before the pasta has finished cooking add the cream and mix well to incorporate.
Once the pasta is almost al dente add it to the sauce and mix to coat. Add a bit of pasta water if needed to loosen things up. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is a perfect al dente.
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the Pecorino, mix well, then taste test. Season with salt and pepper if required then add the basil.
If the pasta gets at all dry before serving simply add a bit more of the reserved pasta water and stir to combine. Serve with grated Pecorino. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Makes 6 very large servings or 8 normal-sized ones.
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.
Serve with extra grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or the microwave.

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