The Cozy Cookbook is here! 
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 recipe next!
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.
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.
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.
Add the cooked pasta and stir to combine. Garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes and serve.
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.
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.)
Try These Next
-
- Sausage Tortellini Soup
-
- Ground Beef and Noodles
-
- Ranch Chicken
-
- Mushroom Chicken Pasta
-
- Tomato Basil Pasta
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Tried This Recipe?
Leave a review, I love hearing your feedback! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Creamy Sausage 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
- 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.
Delicious! I never comment on recipes and I have made many really good ones but we were so happy with this.
I’m so happy it was such a success Andrea! Thanks so much for the great review!🩷
So strange that the recipe used to call for heavy cream but not anymore. Do you still have the old recipe somewhere?
Hi Erika- It still has it! It’s the 2nd ingredient under “sauce” – do you not see it under chicken broth? Let me know!
I do see it now, I make it often enough that I don’t look at the ingredients list, just the instructions. It seems the instructions changed, or is it just me?
OHHHHHH!!! Yes- I improved them. They’re easier to follow now (I promise), not for you because you are used to the old way. But it’s easier now, I swear. LOL.
Omg this is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made! The taste is right out of a restaurant. I made the sauce and let it sit over night in the refrigerator to let all the flavors really emerge. I then used the crockpot on low to heat it up the next day. I’m definitely adding this to my favorite recipes!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it Wendy, you made me hungry just thinking about it! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
If you can believe I haven’t made this recipe out of your cookbook yet because I have a great recipe from a patient’s husband that involves Italian sausage and rigatoni. It is a winner! And I’ve made it too many times to count. But something made me try your creamy sausage pasta tonight. Maybe because I had most of the ingredients on hand. Whatever. It was so good! I used a mix of sweet and hot Italian sausage. And I added the whole 12 oz. Jar of roasted red peppers (sue me). Holy cow! It was so delicious. So easy. Restaurant worthy. I read your notes and it would be fun to make a sundried tomato kale version…but the roasted red pepper spinach version is soooooooooo good! Wow! Thanks, Stephanie!
My pleasure Renee! I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks so much for the great comments!💕
Yes please & thank you!! Saw this & almost climbed into my iPad.
Followed this BUT used what I had on hand-turkey sausage, sorry, reg yellow mustard(!, I know…) and Feta. Came out great!
HOWEVER,
This weekend shall do a redo with proper ingredients and I shall devour that one as well!!
Thank you for all of your delicious recipes and all that you share!! YUUUMMM!!
I’m so happy that you made it work with what you had on hand Bridgette!! 🙂 WOOO!! Can’t wait for you to make it again sometime, thank you so much for the review- you’re the best!! -Stephanie
Da Bomb. My dinner table went SILENT! at dinner tonight. This recipe was excellent. No deviations. Keep them coming
A silent dinner table is almost always a good sign! LOL. Thank you so much for the review Viola! I’ll keep the recipes coming!
I came across this recipe almost a year ago, but never got around to cooking it for one reason or another (My LOSS). I came across it again today and decided it was time to make it (So GLAD I did). I used all chicken broth, only because I did not have a white wine on hand and used fresh basil in place of parsley but followed the recipe on the rest of the ingredients. This dish is superb even without using the wine. It is way better and has more flavor than what you would get at a restaurant where you would pay more and get a lot less. Go figure to think I waited almost a year to make when I could have had this multiple times by now. Going to go get a second helping to make up for my egregious error.
I’m so happy you finally made it! I’m due to make this one again soon, it’s always such a hit. Thanks so much for the great comments and review!😃
I cooked this meal a few months ago for my fiance who absolutely loved it. Made it again tonight for a family of five who would not stop raving about it! Very delicious, highly recommend!
I’m so happy it was such a success with the family Jessica! Thanks so much for the great review!🩷
This is one of my family’s favorites. I’ve never made it the day before. Is it still just as good? Thank you!
I’m so happy that you and your family love it Donna!! This recipe is good if prepared the day before, I might undercook the pasta just slightly so that it’s not mushy when reheated 🙂