This Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta makes a quicker than quick satisfying and easy weeknight meal that is filled with warm, mildly spicy flavors. Whether you choose sweet or spicy sausage, this one is guaranteed to make your taste buds do a dance!
Out of all the hearty pasta dishes out there, this one just might give you the most bang for your buck. Coming together in about 35 minutes, it’s a quick, satisfying and comforting dish that is perfect for busy weeknights, yet worthy of a special occasion.
A simple combination of Italian sausage, onion, garlic, fennel seeds, parmesan cheese and a wine-infused tomato sauce sets the spectacularly rich flavor profile of this extra-zippy pasta. To finish, a shower of fresh basil makes this pantry meal feel a little fresher and more aromatic.
We almost always enjoy it alongside a simply-dressed arugula salad or with some roasted broccoli drizzled with lemon juice. Yum.
Why You’ll Love This Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
- Inexpensive with a high reward. This pasta dish is inexpensive, yet looks and tastes luxurious.
- Versatile: This easy pasta dish seems to turn out delicious no matter what you do. Make it vegetarian, use any pasta shape you’d like, add more spices, make it mild if spicy is not your thing, add some spinach or kale—it’s all good!
- The silky, smoky, spicy sauce comes together fast: The highly seasoned Italian sausage quickly adds meaty depth to the sauce which comes together in no time. Then all you have to do is cook the pasta, scoop it into the sauce, and you’re good to go.
- Makes great leftovers: With no cream involved, this pasta dish reheats beautifully. You’ll be fighting your loved ones for leftovers.
Key Ingredients And Notes
Here’s the main ingredients you’ll need to make this incredibly satisfying weeknight Italian sausage pasta:
- Sausage: You have a lot of options here. A classic mild Italian sausage or a hot Italian sausage is best since they are highly-seasoned and will render lots of juicy-flavoured fat. Or you can use one of each if you’d like just a little bit of heat. I often make it with turkey sausage or Italian chicken sausage (though not easy to find) and it works just as well. Andouille sausage, or any strong flavored sausage will also work. The recipe calls for 12 ounces of sausage (about 2 large links) but you can make it a full pound if feeding more than 4.
- Onion and garlic: I like really like the extra garlic and onion flavor, but some sausages are so richly-spiced and flavorful, you can even omit these if you’re in a big hurry.
- Carrot: Completely optional but I like to sauté 1 diced carrot with the onions. I find their sweetness helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Fennel seeds: Most Italian sausages have been spiced with crushed fennel seeds, but if your sausage is a little weak on spices, or does not show fennel on the ingredient list, I highly recommend you add some. They will add a distinctive flavor profile to the pasta dish.
- Dry white wine: It helps deglaze the pan while adding more complex flavor to the dish. If avoiding alcohol, use chicken stock or omit it altogether.
- Canned toamotes: This dish is not supposed to be too heavy on the tomatoes so we only use one small can. I like to use a can of cherry tomatoes because they’re super flavorful and a little sweeter than whole tomatoes. Unfortunately, they can be hard to find so substitute with whole tomatoes, crushed tomatoes or any good-quality canned tomatoes. And if you have some lovely fresh summer tomatoes, go ahead and use them here!
- Fresh basil: This dish really benefits from a generous amount of fresh basil. You could use parsley in a pinch, but basil really makes this dish sing.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano: For a creamy, cheesy, salty-rich finish.
- Pasta: Any type of dried pasta can be used for this recipe. Tubular shaped pasta such as penne, rigatoni, and ziti, are very popular with meaty-based sauces but any type of dried pasta can be used for this recipe. Try it with fusilli, bow tie, orecchiette, linguine, etc.
A NOTE ON THE PASTA : This recipe calls for only 12 ounces of pasta, which I know will leave you with an annoying bit left in the package. The reason for this, is that you don’t want to drown out the sauce with a huge amount of pasta. In addition, it would be hard to fit more pasta in the skillet. However, if you’d like to use the full package (1 pound) just double the amount of tomatoes. You may also need to use the pasta pot, as opposed to the skillet, to combine everything at the end.
Recipe Substitutions And Additions
- Make it vegetarian and/or vegan: Use your favorite plant-based sausage or use mushrooms in place of the sausage at the start of the recipe, then continue with the rest.
- Add different spices: For even more flavor, add some dried marjoram, dried oregano, or Italian seasoning.
- Other fresh herbs: A small amount of fresh oregano and/or a sprig of rosemary, would also be great in this Italian sausage pasta dish.
- Add spinach: For a little more nutrient-dense goodness, add some fresh spinach during the final minutes of cooking. Chard, kale or other leafy greens could be substituted for the spinach, just make sure to tear or cut them into small, bite-size pieces.
- Make it gluten-free: Thankfully, there are many great gluten-free pasta options on the market. In fact, when I prefer something less starchy and more nutritious, I use a gluten-free pasta. I really love this one.
How To Make Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
STEP 1: BOIL WATER
The tomato-sausage sauce comes together quite fast so start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil.
Step 2: BROWN THE SAUSAGE AND VEGGIES
Heat oil over medium high heat in a sauté pan or skillet that is large enough to hold all the pasta. When oil is hot, add the sausage to the pan, using a wooden spoon to break into smaller pieces. Cook until starting to brown and no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the diced onions and carrots and cook until softened, about 4 minutes more. Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
STEP 3: ADD WINE AND TOMATOES
Lower heat to medium-low and add the wine to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let this cook down for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally while you cook the pasta.
STEP 4: COOK THE PASTA
Generously salt the boiling water and cook pasta according to package instructions or until just al dente.
STEP 5: COMBINE PASTA WITH SAUSAGE SAUCE
Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the pan and toss gently to combine with the sausage sauce. Stir in the cheese then add some of the pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, if needed. Top with basil and serve with extra Parmesan, if you like.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t add too many tomatoes. This is not a long-simmering tomato sauce. The tomatoes in this pasta dish are supposed to complement the sausage, not the other way around. If you really need to stretch the sauce to serve more people, you can add another can but then make sure you let the sauce simmer a lot longer.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. The pasta will continue to cook for a few minutes when it is tossed with the sauce so make sure to cook it just until it’s al dente.
- Don’t forget to save some pasta water. Pretty much every saucy pasta dish benefits from the addition of some starchy pasta water. This one is no different so don’t forget to save about 1 cup.
Serving Suggestions
If I’m serving this spicy sausage pasta recipe on a busy weeknight, I like to serve it with a simple leafy green salad or some roasted broccoli florets. When I have a little more time, or if serving to company, I will make a heftier side. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Glaze: Crispy, tangy-sweet, roasted Brussels sprouts are the perfect quick side to a weeknight meal.
- Kale Caesar salad: This chopped kale with avocado, crunchy croutons, and a creamy, tangy dressing is a fabulous twist on the classic.
- Radicchio Salad with Fennel and Pear: A textural salad that is bitter, sweet, crunchy, nutty, and insanely delicious!
Frequently Asked Questions
This will depend on the sausage you use. Some hot Italian sausages are super spicy and some are not spicy at all. If you don’t like spicy food, or would like to serve it to small children, it is best to use a mild sausage, then add a pinch of red pepper flakes for just a tiny bit of heat.
I find the tomato-sausage sauce to be perfect as is but if you like creamy sauces, feel free to add 1/2 cup heavy cream. It will be quite delicious, I’m sure.
I love the flavor of sausage and peppers, so yes go ahead and add some chopped sweet peppers. I would add them at the same time as the onions and carrots.
If your sausage made the dish too spicy, you can tone down the spice by adding some heavy cream or stirring in some sour cream.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Leftovers of the sausage pasta may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze. Transfer the cooled sausage pasta to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- To Reheat. For best results, reheat the sausage pasta on the stovetop over medium heat, in a covered pot with a lid. Add a 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
More Pasta Dishes To Try
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Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 12 ounces hot or mild Italian sausage, casings removed (see notes)
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 small carrot finely chopped (optional)
- 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup white wine (or use chicken stock)
- 1 (14 ounce) can cherry tomatoes or whole tomatoes (see notes)
- 12 ounces dried pasta of your choice (see notes)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- Small handful basil leaves, torn by hand
Instructions
- The tomato-sausage sauce comes together quite fast so start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil.
- Heat oil over medium high heat in a sauté pan or skillet that is large enough to hold all the pasta. When oil is hot, add the sausage to the pan, using a wooden spoon to break into smaller pieces. Cook until starting to brown and no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the diced onions and carrots and cook until softened, about 4 minutes more. Stir in the garlic, fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Lower heat to medium-low and add the wine to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits that stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let this cook down for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes and simmer, stirring occasionally while you cook the pasta.
- Generously salt the boiling water and cook pasta according to package instructions, or until just al dente.
- Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the pan and toss gently to combine with the sausage sauce. Stir in the parmesan cheese then add some of the pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce (I usually use about 1/2 cup). Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, if needed. Drizzle everything with a little olive oil, top with basil and serve with extra Parmesan, if you like.
Notes
- Sausage: You can use any sausage you’d like here. If you are using an un-seasoned sausage, consider adding more spices like dried oregano, red pepper flakes, and/or Italian seasoning. If you would like to use 1 pound of sausage, that will work without having to alter the rest of the recipe.
- Tomatoes: You can also use crushed tomatoes or 2 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes. If you are using 1 pound of pasta, double the amount of tomatoes.
- Pasta: This recipe calls for only 12 ounces of pasta, which I know will leave you with an annoying bit left in the package. The reason for this, is that you don’t want to drown out the sauce with a huge amount of pasta. In addition, it would be hard to fit more pasta in the skillet. However, if you’d like to use the full package (1 pound) just double the amount of tomatoes. You may also need to use the pasta pot, as opposed to the skillet, to combine everything at the end.
- To store & reheat: Leftovers of the sausage pasta may be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For best results, reheat the sausage pasta on the stovetop over medium heat, in a covered pot with a lid. Add a 1/4 cup of water or chicken broth, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
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