This Creamy Sausage Pasta recipe has a cream cheese and Parmesan blend with roasted red peppers, sweet or spicy Italian sausage, spinach, and your choice of pasta!

Be sure to try my Tomato Basil Pasta and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta recipes next! 

A white plate with creamy sausage pasta with roasted red peppers and rigatoni.

Creamy Sausage Pasta

The flavors in this recipe are incredible! It’s got sweet or spicy sausage, roasted red peppers, spinach, and the most flavorful garlic Parmesan cream sauce.

A white wine reduction adds even more flavor, along with a hint of tomato paste that’s offset with softened cream cheese that’s melted into the sauce. (And the seasonings are incredible.)

You can get as creative with the ingredients as you want! Use any kind of pasta, sun dried or diced tomatoes instead of roasted red peppers, kale instead of spinach, Asiago instead of Parmesan, chicken broth instead of wine, (I could go on for days). OR, keep it all as-is and get ready for an amazing meal!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Sauté the sausage until browned and cooked through. Set aside. Deglaze the pan with white wine and use a silicone spatula to ‘clean’ the bottom of the pan. Add tomato paste and garlic. Reduce by half, about 4 minutes. Add chicken broth and seasonings. 

A skillet with cooked sausage next to a skillet with tomato paste, wine, and chicken broth to make pasta sauce.

Stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Add the roasted red peppers and stir in the softened cream cheese until combined.

Adding cream, cream cheese, and roasted red peppers to a saucepan for creamy sausage pasta.

Let it bubble gently and reduce while you cook the pasta to al dente. Reduce sauce to low heat and gradually stir in the Parmesan cheese until combined. Add the spinach and the sausage along with any juices from the plate.

Adding sausage to a skillet with a cream sauce.

Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes and serve.

Adding rigatoni to creamy sausage sauce and stirring to combine.

Pro Tips

  • I used Premio Sweet Italian Sausage for this recipe, Ground sausage can also be used if preferred. 
  • Diced tomatoes or Sun Dried Tomatoes can be used instead of roasted red peppers. 
  • Kale can also be used instead of spinach, add it to the sauce when the pasta is about halfway cooked through, it will need longer to heat through.
  • I used Colavita Rigatoni for this recipe, but any kind of pasta can be used in this recipe. 
  • Chicken broth can be used instead of wine if needed.
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 151!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 

A close up view of rigatoni noodles in a Creamy Sausage Pasta with red peppers and spinach.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • This is the Le Creuset skillet I used in this recipe, (and in 90% of my recipes). It’s pricey, but it conducts heat really well and is oven safe. The size is perfect and the quality is great.
  • Pasta Strainer– This is the one I have 🙂 
  • Box Cheese Grater– Always shred cheese from a block, it melts and tastes much better. Bagged shredded cheese contains cellulose which prevents it from melting as well.
  • Spice Rack-This is the one I have, it’s a snap to measure out your seasonings quickly and easily. (Big time saver.)

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A plate with Creamy Sausage Pasta with Rigatoni.

Creamy Sausage Pasta

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
4.99 from 107 ratings
Servings: 6 people
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This Creamy Sausage Pasta recipe has a cream cheese and Parmesan blend with roasted red peppers, sweet or spicy Italian sausage, spinach, and your choice of pasta!

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

Sausage/Peppers/Pasta

  • 1 lb. Italian sausage, hot or sweet
  • ½ cup dry white wine, See notes
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 7 oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained, Equal to about 1 cup.
  • 1 ½ cups spinach
  • 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • ½ lb. rigatoni
  • Fresh parsley, to garnish
  • Red pepper flakes, to garnish

Instructions

  • Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
  • Cut the sausage into 1/2-inch thick slices. Heat 6 tablespoons water over medium heat in a large, high-walled skillet. Add the sausage. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove lid and increase heat slightly, cook until browned, 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  • Begin boiling a pot of salted water for the pasta while you proceed with the following steps.
  • Drain excess grease from pan but leave brown remnants. Add the white wine, tomato paste, and garlic to the pan and set to medium heat. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble gently until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
  • Stir in the sauce mixture from step 1. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the roasted red peppers and stir in the softened cream cheese.
  • Let the sauce simmer, uncovered, while you boil the pasta to al dente. Drain once cooked.
  • Reduce sauce heat to low. Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously. Add the spinach and the sausage along with any juices from the plate. Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine.
  • Garnish with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:
  • Wine: Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay are great in this recipe. Chicken broth can be used instead of wine if needed.
  • I use Premio Sweet Italian Sausage links in this recipe. Spicy sausage links or ground sausage can also be used if preferred.
  • Diced tomatoes or sun dried tomatoes can be used instead of roasted red peppers.
  • Kale can also be used instead of spinach, add it to the sauce when the pasta is about halfway cooked through, it will need longer to heat through.
  • I used Colavita Rigatoni for this recipe, but any kind of pasta can be used in this recipe.
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 151!
Storage:
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 685kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 49g, Saturated Fat: 24g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 141mg, Sodium: 1456mg, Potassium: 519mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 1857IU, Vitamin C: 23mg, Calcium: 249mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Author: Stephanie