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 Tomato Basil Pasta and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta recipes 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
- Sun-Dried Tomato 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, shredded
- 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.
LOVED this dish! Comforting and easy to make. I chopped my spinach a bit but it got so clumpy. Any suggestions? I have this happen sometimes in dishes but love using spinach because it packs in some nutrients!
Hey Julia! I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe! I wonder if the spinach issue is from cooking it too long? This is a thread that I found about “clumpy” spinach! I haven’t really encountered this issue, I usually add the spinach and shut the heat off right away. I think adding it gradually may help as well! 🙂
This is my new favorite meal! I substituted ground Italian sausage for the meatballs and a can of diced tomatoes instead of the peppers- it was FANTASTIC
I am so happy to hear that Carlee and I love that you used ground sausage and diced tomatoes, delish!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
I live alone so I cut the recipe in fourths, but it was delicious! Will make again and shared the recipe with my sister.
I’m so happy you enjoyed this one Pam!💗 Thanks so much for the great comments!
Absolutely amazing! My family said it tasted like a pasta dish from our favorite Italian restaurant. This will be in the rotation from now on.
Wow what a great compliment from the family Kelly! Great job!😍 Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and review!
Why does recipe show “meatballs “ instead of sliced sausage??? Which is correct ?? Does this make any difference ??? Would love to try this ! But recipe leaves me a bit confused !!!
Hi Annie! These aren’t meatballs, I know that they kind of look like that but I bought these sausage links and prepared them according to the package instructions (which are outlined in the recipe), and this is what they end up looking like. Yours will look exactly the same if you repeat these steps with that sausage, but you can use any kind of sausage that you want and follow the package instructions!
I bought bulk mild Italian sausage and rolled it into little balls before pan searing. Turned out great-just like the pics!
The Creamy Sausage Pasta was a hit with my family! Used mustard because I didn’t have mustard powder and used diced tomatoes. It was delicious!
I’m so happy it was a hit with the family Karla!😍 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
I made this recipe tonight before heading out to my grandsons baseball game. I made with shell pasta that’s what I had on hand. I did not have roasted canned peppers but had fresh mini peppers so grilled those and added. Great flavor!! Always LOVE your recipes. Thank you!! Net time going to try roasted tomatoes and mushrooms as someone suggested. My hubs love the mushrooms I can pick them out🤣
I’m so happy you enjoyed this one! Glad to hear you were able to pull it off before your grandsons baseball game. Roasted tomatoes and mushrooms would be amazing. In our family it’s opposite, my husband would be the one picking out the mushrooms🤣
Simply AMAZING!!! The husband and kids LOVED it, very easy to follow, simple ingredients yet an amazing result!! Thank you The Cozy Cook for this recipe!
You’re very welcome Heidi! I’m so happy the husband and kids loved it and you found it easy to follow!😍 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!
What can be use instead of wine?
Chicken Broth 🙂
I tried this recipe because I had some sweet sausage in our freezer. It was quick and easy to make with some rigatoni I had on hand as well. My family loved it so much that they all had seconds and my little one went back for thirds!!! He is usually such a picky eater so I was so surprised!!!! I will definitely be making this again in the near future. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I am so happy to hear that this was a win with the family Priscilla!! Even the picky eater, awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this review! -Stephanie