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This spicy Italian sausage pasta is the definition of comfort food! Creamy, savory, spicy, and rich, with a touch of brightness from the fresh herbs, every bite is well-balanced and so good you can’t help but come back for more. For these reasons, it’s one of my favorite main courses whether I’m hosting or preparing a weeknight dinner.
It also doesn’t hurt that this recipe is incredibly easy to make. All you need is a pot, a skillet, and about 30 minutes for everything to come together. The finished dish is filling enough to serve on its own, but I always add a side of Parmesan garlic bread and a tomato caprese salad, too.
Recipe Tip
Grate some Parmesan cheese over the finished dish.
❤️ Why You’ll Love Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
- Comforting weeknight meal.
- You only need a few simple ingredients.
- Make ahead-friendly.
Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta Ingredients
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
- Pasta: I prefer Conchiglie for this dish because they scoop up the ingredients. Cook al dente according to the package instructions.
- Tomatoes: I use San Marzano tomatoes.
- Heavy cream: To combine all the flavors and make the sauce creamy. Add more to mellow the spiciness or to make more sauce.
- Spicy Italian sausage: I use a spicy salciccia sausage, but you can choose any sausage you like according to your spice preference. Remove the outer skin and break it into small pieces.
- Seasoning: Sea salt and pepper to balance the flavors. Add to taste.
- Balsamic glaze: To add a subtle sweetness (not pictured).
How to Make Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
- Prepare the spicy sauce: Brown the sausage on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Once cooked through, add chopped tomatoes and onion. Sizzle for 5-7 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Prepare the pasta: Cook according to the package instructions.
- Top the sausages with a splash of pasta water and heavy cream. Let it simmer. Then, stir in balsamic glaze and season to taste.
- Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce. Top with chopped basil and serve.
Tips for Success
- Be sure to brown the sausage to release all that flavor.
- Season the pasta water before cooking to add flavor.
- Save a cup of the pasta water to help thicken the sauce.
- Don’t let the cream come to a boil. You want the sauce to be fairly runny, so it will coat all that pasta.
Possible Variations
- Pasta: Choose any pasta you have available and cook according to the package instructions. I like rotating among penne, fusilli, orzo, and rigatoni pasta.
- Spicy sausage: Chorizo, nduja, or similar. If you prefer less spice, opt for sausages that have a more neutral taste.
- Tomatoes: Grape, cherry, Roma, or vine tomatoes, red peppers, spinach, kale, peas, or mushrooms.
- Heavy cream: Sour cream, Greek yogurt, or creme fraiche.
- Yellow onions: Shallots, red onions, white onions, or caramelized onions.
- Fresh basil: Try parsley or thyme.
- Add-ins: Dry white wine, red wine, beef stock, chicken broth, tomato paste, chili flakes, roasted pine nuts, pistachios, pomegranate arils, or bacon.
Recipe Tip
Serve the pasta hot or cold.
Best Served with
How to Store Leftovers
Keep leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy within 2 days.
FAQs
If you aren’t a fan of spicy food, choose an Italian sausage that is mild in flavor.
Add more cream, more chopped tomatoes, or a few spoonfuls of marinara sauce.
Yes. You can even make it the day before. Store it covered in the fridge.
Reheat it in a pan. If the pasta has soaked up the sauce, add water or cream to make more. Be sure to season again.
2 days in the fridge.
If you want to freeze the dish, it’s best to freeze the sausage sauce on its own, as the pasta can become mushy.
More Dinners
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Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 300 grams Salciccia toscana, or similar spicy sausage
- 250 grams pasta, (save some pasta water)
- 2 onions, diced
- 250 grams tomatoes, San Marzano, chopped
- 100 grams heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
- sea salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in a medium saucepan according to the package instructions (save a cup of the pasta water).
- Remove the outer skin of the salciccia sausages.
- Heat a large pan on medium-high.
- Shred the sausages into smaller pieces with your hands.
- Brown the sausage pieces in the pan for a few minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and diced onion.
- Fry until the tomatoes and onions are soft (about 5-7 minutes).
- Pour in a splash of pasta water.
- Add the cream, stir, and let it come to a quick simmer.
- Turn down the heat to medium-low.
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze and season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the pasta, mix again, and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
