Creamy Sausage Pasta

a bowl of sausage pasta topped with cheese.

5 from 9 votes

This creamy sausage pasta is the perfect weeknight dinner. Savoury sausages, veggies and tender pasta are tossed through a bold and creamy sauce that is packed with flavour. And this ultra-comforting dish can be on the table in just 20 minutes with minimal prep!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Australian

Servings:

Calories: 659kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

500 grams sausages approx. 6 sausages. Use beef, pork or chicken, or swap for crumbled chorizo or Andouille sausage.
400 grams dried pasta Choose your favourite type of pasta.
1 brown onion diced
4 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 green capsicum finely sliced
2 teaspoons sweet paprika sweet Hungarian paprika, not hot or smoky paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½-1 teaspoon cayenne powder adjust to suit your personal taste, or omit.
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 ½ cups canned, crushed tomatoes or passata
1 cup liquid chicken stock
½ cup cooking cream or heavy cream
1 cup pecorino romano cheese fresh, finely grated. Can be swapped for parmesan
3 cups baby spinach leaves

To serve

extra pecorino cheese freshly grated. (or parmesan).

Instructions

Over a bowl, gently squeeze the sausage meat from the sausage casing. Discard the sausage casings.
Use your hands to roll the sausage meat into small meatballs. Alternatively, the sausage meat can be roughly crumbled into small pieces.
Place the pasta into a pot of boiling, salted water and cook according to the packet instructions, until al dente.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a large frying pan over low heat. Cook the onion, garlic and olive oil for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until soft and fragrant.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the sausage meatballs. Cook for 2-3 minutes, turning, until they are browned on all sides. Add the capsicum and stir.
Add the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, cayenne and thyme and stir.
Add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes and stock and stir to combine. Bring to a low simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
Turn the heat off. Carefully add the cooking cream and grated cheese and stir for 1-2 minutes, until the cheese has mostly melted.
Add the spinach leaves, stirring until the leaves have wilted.
When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the pasta sauce. Stir to combine and allow everything to sit in the pan for 1-2 minutes while the sauce continues to thicken.
Top with some more freshly grated pecorino cheese and serve while hot.

Notes

When adding the cream to the sauce, make sure the heat is low or turned off completely and don’t simmer it for too long, or the cream may overheat and cause the sauce to split.
Use freshly grated pecorino cheese, rather than pre-packaged shredded cheese. The melted cheese works to thicken the sauce as it sits. However pre-packaged cheese will clump together and won’t fully incorporate into the sauce, leaving it runny.
This recipe does not contain extra salt. This is because the pasta water is salted and the cheese, sausages and stock all add their own seasoning and flavour to the sauce. Taste and the end and only add more seasoning if needed.
Leave the sauce to sit for a few minutes after adding the cheese and cream. It will thicken as it sits.
Removing the sausage casings helps to evenly distribute the sausage meat throughout the sauce and infuse the flavours throughout the dish.
Leftover sausages can be used instead of using sausage meat removed from the casing. Slice the sausages and add them to the sauce at the end, until heated through.
Variations – try adding a handful of chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the finished sauce along with the spinach. Or add some grated zucchini, grated carrot, peas or corn when you add the capsicum for extra veggie content. This is a great recipe for a fridge clean out.
Storage; Sausage pasta tastes even better the next day, once the flavours have had time to develop. Keep leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat until steaming hot when you are ready to eat it.
Reheating; Sausage pasta can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave. To reheat on the stovetop, add a splash of stock and/or a little more cheese to loosen the sauce. Stir over medium heat until steaming hot. To reheat in the microwave, cook individual serves on ‘auto reheat’ or medium-high power for 1-3 minutes (stirring 2-3 times in between), or until steaming hot.
Freezing; The entire pasta dish (or just the sauce) can be made ahead and frozen, to enjoy later. For best results, I recommend freezing the sauce on its own and adding fresh pasta when you are ready to eat it. This is because pasta can go a little mushy in the freezer and always tastes better fresh. Allow the sausage pasta (or cooked sauce without the added pasta) to cool completely and place into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until steaming hot. It may need a splash of stock to loosen the sauce.
Please note that the nutrition information is based on the pasta being divided into 6 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the pasta.
This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition