Get my Cookbooks! 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?
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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.
I made this last night and it was amazing. The blend of flavors and textures was like a party. I made a double batch because I love sharing with my neighbors. It was a huge hit with them too and now they want the recipe!
Nice work Gina! Sounds like you really nailed it. Always a good sign when people ask you for the recipe😃. Thanks so much for the great review!🩷
SO yummy. This turned into a labor of love tho when my Ronzoni Rigatoni #27 turned into a million broken pieces while boiling 🤦🏻♀️ Had to send my husband out for some DeCecco #24 bc they didn’t have Colavita. Perfection. My cream cheese wasn’t softened enough so I had to simmer for a while longer to melt it, but it was all worth it in the end! Delicious pasta dish, perfect way to use up some extra mild Italian sausages, spinach and heavy cream. Thank you!!
I’m so happy that you loved the recipe Luma! Too bad there was a bit of a pasta fiasco but I’m glad that you overcame it! Thank you so much for the review, I really appreciate it! -Stephanie
This was a huge hit with my family—especially my two nieces, 14 and 9–although they weren’t crazy about the “green stuff” and the sun-dried tomatoes I added. They had seconds and thirds!
I’m so happy it was such a success with the family Jenn! Your nieces sound like my daughter lol. Thanks so much for the great review!💖
Delicious! My family loved this.
Can’t beat when the whole family approves, nice work! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!😃
This was magnificent. Me and my guy made this for dinner last night and we agreed it was better than any restaurant pasta dish we have had. We didn’t have cream on hand so we used evaporated milk instead, also didn’t realize I was out of fire roasted peppers so we used sun dried tomatoes instead. I added 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper to the spice mixture as we like some heat and I used better than bouillon instead of chicken stock. I used organic firecracker sausages with the casings removed and reshaped them into sausage balls, I then cooked them with half of a chopped onion and 1 chopped anaheim pepper. The pasta we had on hand was penne so that’s what we used. Just goes to show it’s quite a versatile recipe that can be loosely followed with multiple improvisations and still turn out to be delectable!
Wow nice job making tweaks Liz, sounds like you nailed it! I love that you and your guy said that enjoyed it so much, that makes me so happy! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!😃
Made this last night exactly as written. Hubby said it was the best sauce he had ever eaten! Definitely a keeper. Thanks for such a delicious recipe.
That’s GREAT news Sheryl!! I’m so happy. Thank you so much for the review!!! -Stephanie
Was a hit in my house. Hubby liked it a lot. I added asparagus cut in 1” pieces, instead of red peppers. I had it on hand and wanted to use it up. I used sweet Italian sausage and cut the casings off …. And ground it up. Hubby said the dish needed more meat , but he says that about everything! Will make again ! Thank you …
Great job Amy, sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!💖
omg this soooo good thank u i just demolished it
Wahooo! That’s what I love to hear Dee, thanks so much for the great review!💖
This was absolutely delicious!! A dish you would order in a restaurant. Served with a warm French Baguette.
I’m so happy it was such a success Tammy! Warm French Baguette is the perfect side to soak up every bit of sauce 😋. Thanks for the great review!
This is a favorite for our family! I like to use ground mild Italian sausage instead of the links.
I’m so happy your family is enjoying it Jenn! thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!💖