This Italian Sausage Pasta in spicy tomato sauce is the perfect Italian-style Sunday dinner (or lunch). It's also an easy pasta recipe to make as a perfect weeknight dinner because it's ready in just 40 minutes. A few quality ingredients can make a perfect meal.
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If you want more recipes using Italian sausage, try also this Butternut Squash and Sausage Lasagna, and this Pumpkin Sausage Soup, or this collection of 20+ Best Pasta Recipes with Italian Sausage.
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Why You'll Love it
It's no secret that sausages work great in a tomato sauce. That's why it is one of my favorite pizza toppings. In Tuscany, we also have a traditional main course of sausages stewed in a tomato sauce with beans, a hearty and comforting meal often served in winter.
This Italian Sausage Pasta has a touch of spiciness from red pepper flakes, but you can also use spicy Italian sausage as well, or add a touch of Calabrian 'Nduja to the sauce. It's an easy recipe and a perfect meal for busy weeknights for the whole family. For a creamier and milder version, check out this Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sausages: Use fresh Italian sausages, either sweet Italian sausage, spicy Italian sausage, or fennel Italian sausage, as you prefer. Adjust the spice based on the sausage flavor. So if you use a sweet or spicy sausage, you can add ½ teaspoon of fennel seeds to the sauce. If instead, you use sweet or fennel sausage, you can add a pinch of red chili pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Tomato Purèe: Buy a good quality Italian canned tomato purèe, also called Passata. It's usually made with San Marzano tomatoes, which are the most flavorful Italian tomatoes.
- Soffritto: Also called mirepoix. Check this guide to make and store portioned Soffritto, or just chop carrots, celery, and onions in equal quantities.
- Pasta: Any short-cut pasta will work. From penne pasta, to fusilli, to rigatoni. Use your favorite pasta shape.
- Cream: Heavy cream or half and half is added at the end to the sauce to make it more creamy and break the acidity of the tomatoes.
See the recipe card for full quantities.
What is Italian Sausage?
You would think that the term "Italian Sausage" would identify a specific product that is always the same. But it's not. There isn't a unique "Italian Sausage", since each region has its own different way of making sausages. In Tuscany, we make it with coarse-cut meat and we use a lot of black pepper. This type of sausage is not easily found outside of Tuscany.
The most common Italian sausages exported around the world are mostly the Southern style. They often have fennel seeds, sweet paprika, or spicy chili pepper. Sometimes even a mix of herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage.
For this sausage pasta recipe, you can use whichever Italian sausage you prefer or have available in stores near you. I used fennel sausage in this case, which gives a nice aroma to the tomato sauce, similar to my Pork Chop with Fennel sauce recipe.
Instructions with Photos
This recipe for pasta and sausage is super easy and you don't need a ton of ingredients, as long as you use good quality ones.
Step 1. In a large skillet, cook the sausage without the casing at medium-high heat. Add the garlic for the last 2-3 minutes. Break it with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
Step 2. Add the soffritto and the tomato purèe to the sausage mixture, scraping the bottom of the pan.
Step 3. Simmer the sauce for 20-30 minutes at low heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can also add fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, or more chili pepper flakes.
Step 4. Add the cream and the drained pasta to the sauce and serve (add a splash of pasta water if needed). You can top it with fresh basil and additional parmesan cheese.
Tips on how to cook Italian Sausage
The most important step in making this spicy Italian sausage pasta sauce is cooking the sausage properly. There shouldn't be a bite of sausage bigger than the pasta, so it's important that you break the sausage correctly when you cook it.
First, you need to remove the sausage from the casing. Then, instead of tossing it directly in the pan, break it already into pieces with your hands; this way it'll be easier to break it further while it cooks. Turn on the heat so it starts browning and with a wooden spoon keep breaking it into pieces as small as possible. You can leave a few bigger chunks, but most of it should be broken into small pieces.
The more it cooks, the easier it will be to break it. If it's browning too much, lower the heat or remove from the heat for a few minutes while you keep working on it.
Recipe FAQs
I do not recommend cooking the pasta directly in the sauce (unless you use small pasta shape like orzo or ditalini), because large pasta shapes take too long, need more liquid, and you need to stir often to make sure it doesn't stick to the cookware.
Yes, you can use any kind of sausage you prefer or have available. As long as it's fresh sausage (not smoked or pre-cooked). Experiment and adjust the seasonings to taste based on the sausage flavor.
You can store leftover spicy sausage pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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📖 RECIPE
Ingredients
Method
- In a skillet or a non-stick pan, drizzle some olive oil and add the peeled garlic cloves cut in halves and the sausages. Turn on the heat and break the sausages into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until it starts to brown.
- Add the Soffritto and the tomato sauce to the pan with ⅓ cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer.
- Turn down the heat to low and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and when the sauce it's almost done, toss the pasta and cook according to the package instructions.
- Add the milk or cream to the sauce and season to taste.
- Drain the pasta al dente and toss it in the skillet with the sauce.
- Serve with grated Parmigiano on top.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Notes
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