The Cozy Cook

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Creamy Sausage Pasta

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 Italian Sausage Pasta recipe 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.)

Try These Next

 

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A plate with Creamy Sausage Pasta with Rigatoni.

Creamy Sausage Pasta

4.98 from 95 ratings
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

  • 1 lb. Italian sausage, hot or sweet
  • ½ cup dry white wine, See notes
  • 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 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

Prep Work:

  • Combine the chicken broth, mustard powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning and set aside.
  • Measure out additional ingredients before beginning.

Instructions:

  • 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.
  • Carefully 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.
  • Add the chicken broth and seasonings. Stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the roasted red peppers and stir in the softened cream cheese.
  • Let the sauce bubble gently while you boil the pasta to al dente. Don’t overcook. Drain once cooked.
  • Reduce sauce heat to low. Gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously to incorporate. 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 and 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!

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209 comments on “Creamy Sausage Pasta”

  1. My family loves this meal, defiantly a go-to in our house!

  2. This is my favorite pasta!! I add some shrimp to mine. Everyone I make it for absolutely loves it and demands the recipe (which is one of the only recipes I actually follow because it is perfect!) 

    • I am soooo happy to hear that Amanda!! You made my day, thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!! -Stephanie 🙂

  3. This recipe is a keeper!  Very flavorful and delicious.  I roasted some red peppers in the air fryer vs using jarred.  My husband loved it.  Thanks for another amazing recipe!

  4. Great recipe! We added mushrooms and only used 1/2 jar of red peppers. Everyone at our marriage group loved it! I will make this again! 

  5. So delicious!! Received many compliments on this dish! Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes!!

  6. I really liked this recipe! But just personally am not a big fan of Italian sausage, could I use chopped chicken instead? And still use the deglaze process the same way?
    Thanks!

  7. I made this tonight and used a plant based sausage but other than that followed the recipe and it was So good!  Will definitely make it again!

  8. This is one of my favorite recipes!!!! I’m making it for a crowd this weekend so plan on doubling it. Can I make it ahead of time and then pour into a foil pan and reheat later? Any suggestions? 

    • Hi Elena! I’m so happy that you love this recipe! I would under cook the pasta a little bit so that it doesn’t become mushy when reheated. I might also consider adding a little bit of pasta water to it at the end, the pasta will absorb more and more sauce as it sits so this way it won’t be as likely to become dry or clumpy. After you make it, let it cool completely, then cover and refrigerate. It’ll reheat more evenly if you let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or so prior to reheating. I would cover it and reheat it in a 350 degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until heated through. I hope those tips help, enjoy! 🙂

  9. Hi, this is my family’s go to pasta meal it’s absolutely amazing and I have shared it with all my family!! My pal is having a baby next week and I want to make this for her as a freezer meal.  Do you have suggestions as to reheating instructions?

    • HI Laney! She could reheat on lower power in the microwave until heated through (amount of time depends on how much is being reheated), or for even better results, over a makeshift double boiler on the stovetop 🙂 Cream based sauces don’t reheat exactly back to their original consistency, but you can still make as a freezer meal! 🙂 -Very nice of you!

  10. Thank u! This was a great recipe! It was a hit with the family!
    Thank you Stephanie

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