Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
Servings 8 servings
Calories 720kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb penne rigate
- 1 lb spicy or sweet Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 medium sweet onion finely diced
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 3 medium garlic cloves minced
- 1 Tbsp dry Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 8 oz jar sun dried tomatoes rinsed
- 1 5 oz package baby spinach leaves
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for garnishing
- 1-2 Tbsp prepared basil pesto plus additional as needed
Instructions
- Boil penne pasta in a large pot of salted water per the package directions until al dente. Drain well, reserve the pasta water.
- In a dutch oven or large saucepan, cook the Italian sausage and onion in a light drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook until no pink remains, around 8 minutes, then drain excess grease from the pan.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan, cook for 1-2 minutes longer.
- On medium-low, add the cream to the pot, simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach and sundried tomatoes. Cook while stirring, just until the spinach has wilted.
- Add the cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese, stir to evenly coat. Add reserved pasta water in small amounts, to thin the sauce to your taste.
- Add one tablespoon of basil pesto at a time, increasing the amount to your taste. Simmer just until heated through.
- Serve immediately topped with additional Parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Protein - You can make this pasta using spicy sausage or mild sausage. Should you choose to use spicy, you may want to omit the red pepper flakes.
- Ground Beef - You can make this recipe using lean ground beef, in place of sausage.
- Pasta - You can use ziti or rigatoni in place of penne regatta.
- Heavy Cream - You can use light cream or half and half in place of heavy cream. The sauce will be thinner, so you may need to thicken it with cream cheese, adding one ounce at a time and stirring until its melted. Reheat as needed.
- Pesto - Pesto adds an intense flavor to the sauce that makes this pasta recipe shine. You could also use sun dried tomato pesto to change up the flavor profile.
- Fresh Herbs - You could add fresh parsley, fresh basil, rosemary, oregano or thyme.
- Nuts - A sprinkle of toasted pine nuts would add crunch.
- Cheese - You can use Parmesan cheese, Parmesan Romano cheese or Parmesan Reggiano.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 720kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 974mg | Potassium: 653mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1142IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 205mg | Iron: 3mg