Description
This Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring savory Italian sausage, tender pasta, and a rich, creamy Parmesan sauce. Perfect for weeknight dinners or casual gatherings, this recipe combines sautéed sausage and onions with a luscious cream sauce, tossed with your favorite pasta and finished with fresh basil for a touch of brightness.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage and Vegetables
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or hot)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Red pepper flakes, optional, to taste
Pasta
- 1 pound pasta (such as penne or rotini)
Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Garnish
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
- Brown Sausage: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Add the diced onion, minced garlic, salt, pepper, and optional red pepper flakes to the skillet with the sausage. Cook until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Create Cream Sauce: Lower the heat to medium. Stir in the heavy cream and allow it to warm. Then add the grated Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until the cheese melts and the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat in the sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add reserved pasta water gradually until desired consistency is reached. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes to heat everything through.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve the pasta hot, garnished generously with chopped fresh basil for a fresh flavor contrast.
Notes
- Use mild or hot Italian sausage depending on your spice preference.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust the sauce consistency perfectly.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese melts better and adds a richer flavor.
- Optional red pepper flakes add a nice heat, skip if you prefer milder flavors.
- Can substitute heavy cream with half-and-half for a lighter sauce, but texture will be less rich.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 650mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
