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!
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
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Creamy Sausage 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
- 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.
Going to try this recipe this week
All your recipes are awesome
Loved everyone I have cooked
I’m so happy to hear that Penny, I can’t wait for you to try this one! Thanks so much for your support!❤️
My hubby and kids loved it. I didn’t add wine to the sauce. I used mini penne. Thank you for sharing your recipes.
You’re very welcome Myra! Sounds like a huge victory with the husband and kids, yay! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!😍
This is an amazing recipe!! Used hot Italian sausage. Everyone raved and had seconds. Leftovers were even better. Thank you for another keeper!
That’s so great to hear Jackie, sounds like you nailed it!😃 My freezer is full of this right now, leftovers are so yummy! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!
This was our dinner tonight, and my son can’t quit raving about it! We all loved it…it tastes like something from an upscale Italian restaurant, and I was proud to serve it! Great recipe !
I’m so happy to hear that Vicki!😍 I love hearing you were proud to serve it. I made this for some friends and they said it belongs in a restaurant too! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!
Made this last night and holy cow! so yummy! My boyfriend is excited to eat the left overs, which is so rare! I did sub the heavy cream for half and half so the fat is a little lower and turned out PERFECT! Going through the rest of the website now and excited to try more <3
I’m so happy you enjoyed this Jessika! Sounds like your boyfriend was impressed, nice work!😍 Thanks so much for the great comments, I can’t wait for you to try other recipes!
I love the cozy cooks recipes!! I’m a long time fan. I made this with fire roasted tomatoes since I didn’t have red pepper, and frozen broccoli since I didn’t have spinach, and it was delish! Approved by my 12yr old. Definitely adding to the rotation. Thank you!
Thanks so much for your continued support Erica!💞 I’m so happy your 12 year old approved, sounds like you nailed it!
So so delicious! Thanks for sharing!
You’re very welcome Tiffany! I’m so happy you enjoyed this. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!😍
Not a review as I already did that…. I made this 3 times already. Once per recipe, then without sausage: for the fat from the sausage, I melted about a tablespoon of butter in a pan and then went on with the recipe. Turned out delicious!! Last night I made it again but with chicken. Next time, I will cook the chicken in a separate pan and do the same with the butter to have it come out like the original recipe but last night it was delicious as well! Your page has helped me play with the recipes and make work what I have on hand as opposed to having to run to the store after work then go home and cook. I need to read the planner again and start weekly planning but right now that overwhelms me HAHA. Thank you again for your awesome recipes!! 🙂
Hi Michelle! I love hearing such great comments! It sounds like you’re really learning a lot. It’s so great when you can play with the recipe a bit to work with what you have on hand. I’m so happy my blog has been making your life easier. Thanks so much for your support!💖
This was so delicious my husband wanted to lick the sauce off the plate! I followed the recipe exactly, wouldn’t change a thing. I LOVE all of your recipes that I’ve tried, I can always count on you for a quick, easy and delicious meal! Thank you for sharing, you make me look good! Haha
Thanks so much for the great comments Maureen! I love that you’re looking good with these new recipes❤️, sounds like you’re nailing them! Thanks again for the great review and for your support!
This is delicious! Easy after a day at work. Everyone had seconds!! Will definitely do again! I used sun dried tomatoes because I had them on hand. Really yummy!
I’m so happy everyone had seconds Michelle! Thanks so much for the great review!❤️