Sausage Pasta
Updated Oct 01, 2026
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This sausage pasta recipe is an easy 30-minute dinner my whole family loves! Pasta is tossed in a creamy, cheesy, sausage-based sauce for a cozy meal you’ll make on repeat.
This sausage pasta recipe is a go-to dinner recipe in my house. It’s one of my family’s favorite meals – they literally cheer when they hear it’s what’s for dinner – and it’s so easy that I make it all the time.
I mean, what’s not to love about this Italian sausage pasta recipe? Sausage, garlic and onions are cooked until lightly golden-brown. Then, we add crushed tomatoes, cream, parmesan cheese, fresh basil (yum) and pasta for a creamy, dream main dish that is so delicious words can’t even describe it. Make it once and it’ll become a favorite – guaranteed.
Why You’ll Love This Sausage Pasta
- Quick & Easy. Ready in 30 minutes – perfect for busy weeknights.
- The best sauce. The sausage, along with the parmesan cheese, heavy cream and fresh basil, makes the sauce so good you’ll like your plate clean.
- Feeds a crowd. This feeds our entire family of 8 with leftovers.
- Easy to customize. Use mild or spicy Italian sausage, choose your favorite pasta shape and add veggies.
- Family favorite. My kids literally cheer when I tell them we’re having sausage pasta for dinner!
Made this for my son and husband and they are obsessed!!! My son told me it is probably his favorite meal of all time now!! Thank you so much.
– Rachel
Sausage Pasta Ingredients & Substitutions
I’ve made this recipe so many times, I can tell you all the best substitutions because I’ve tried them all!
- Pasta. Ok, I love the gemelli shaped pasta (I get it from Costco). But I’ve used every tubular pasta under the sun and they all work great – penne, rigatoni, ziti, etc.
- Italian sausage. We use mild sausage, but you can use spicy. I suggest using ground sausage not links.
- Onion. use your favorite. I prefer a sweet yellow or white onion, but have used red with great results.
- Heavy cream. half and half or whole milk both work well, but heavy cream really is the best choice. My kids can tell when I use something other than heavy cream – and they still love it but like the cream the best.
- Crushed tomatoes. I have kids who don’t like tomato chunks, so I use crushed. You can used diced tomatoes too it tastes great.
- Fresh basil. You can use dried but fresh is by far the best.
- Butter. I don’t suggest substitutions, although olive oil can work in a pinch.
- Flour. If you’re making the recipe gluten-free, use a 1:1 all-purpose gluten-free flour.
How to Make Sausage Pasta
This sausage pasta is easy to make in 30 minutes. The pasta cooks while you make the creamy Italian sausage sauce to save time! We’ll walk through the recipe step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Cook the Pasta
Begin by cooking the pasta in salted water – make sure it’s nice and salty! Then, drain the cooked pasta in a colander but do not rinse it with water. It absorbs the sauce so much better if you don’t rinse it.
Make the Creamy Sausage Pasta Sauce
While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Begin by cooking the sausage, onion and garlic together in a large pan. Break up the sausage as it cooks.
Once the sausage is cooked, add butter and flour and stir.
Then add the rest of the sauce ingredients.
Then, stir the sauce. As you can see, it will be a light pink/peachy color. Simmer the sauce until it turns a deeper red/orange.
Assemble the Italian Sausage Pasta
Then, add the cooked and drained pasta and stir until it’s evenly coated.
What to Serve With Sausage Pasta
Serve the sausage pasta immediately with extra fresh basil and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. I usually serve it with a simple green salad or vegetable side dish like roasted broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, green beans or asparagus.
It’s also delicious served with homemade French bread, no-knead bread, dinner rolls or garlic bread to soak up every last bit of the sauce!
More Quick & Easy Pasta Recipes
You’ll love these simple but delicious pasta recipes!
- Pesto pasta is one of my all-time favorites.
- Pasta primavera has so many veggies.
- Spinach tortellini is a recipe I made to taste just like one of my favorite restaurants.
- This burrata pasta is like summer in a plate with my favorite, burrata cheese!
How to Store Sausage Pasta
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze
Let the pasta cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheat
Reheat the sausage pasta in the microwave or in a covered saucepan over low heat. Since the pasta continues absorbing sauce as it’s stored, you may need to add a splash of heavy cream or milk while reheating.
Sausage Pasta Recipe FAQS
I recommend using ground Italian pork sausage. We usually use mild Italian sausage because that’s what my family prefers, but you can add spice with hot Italian sausage. You can also remove the casings from Italian sausage links and crumble the meat as it cooks.
You can substitute whole milk or half-and-half, but the sauce will be thinner and not as rich than when made with heavy cream (my kids can tell when I do this, but still love it).
I recommend a tube-shaped pasta like gemelli, penne, rigatoni, or rotini. Wagon wheel shaped pasta also works and absorbs the sauce really well.
You can make the sauce in advance, but I suggest cooking the pasta fresh and combining them right before serving.
I often add shredded zucchini an cook it with the sausage, garlic and onions. You can also chop up bell peppers, carrots, etc. and cook it with the sausage.
Yes, use gluten-free flour and gluten-free pasta and the recipe is gluten-free!
Be careful not to overcook the pasta, and serve it right after you combine the sauce and pasta. If the sauce gets too thick, add some heavy cream, milk or reserved pasta water until it reaches your desired consistency.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Creamy Sausage Pasta Recipe
Video
Equipment
- 5 quart pot (for cooking pasta)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces gemelli pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage (ground, mild or spicy)
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup onion (finely diced)
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 15 ounces crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup fresh basil (chopped)
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt (or to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. Begin by cooking the Italian sausage onion and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned.
- Stir occasionally, and break up the sausage into small pieces as you cook. Cover the pan between stirring to fully cook the sausage.
- Then, add the butter and stir until melted. Once the butter is melted add the flour and stir to combine.
- Once the flour is incorporated, add the heavy cream, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly and turns a deeper red/orange color.
- Drain the pasta (do not rinse), add it to the pot, and stir until coated with sauce.
- Serve immediately with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil.
Notes
- Pasta. I love the gemelli shaped pasta (I get it from Costco). But I’ve used every tubular pasta under the sun and they all work great – penne, rigatoni, ziti, etc.
- Italian sausage. We use ground, pork, mild sausage, but you can use spicy.
- Onion. use your favorite. I prefer a sweet yellow or white onion, but have used red with great results.
- Heavy cream. half and half or whole milk both work well, but heavy cream really is the best choice. My kids can tell when I use something other than heavy cream – and they still love it but like the cream the best.
- Crushed tomatoes. I have kids who don’t like tomato chunks, so I use crushed. You can used diced tomatoes too it tastes great.
- Fresh basil. You can use dried but fresh is by far the best.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Dreamy! 🤤 As a vegetarian I switched the sausage to smoked tofu. Worked great!
Sounds amazing M! What a great idea!
Made this for my son and husband and they are obsessed!!! My son told me it is probably his favorite meal of all time now!! Thank you so much.
Yay! I’m SO happy your family loves it Rachel! I’ve seriously been so excited to get this recipe published on my website because I make it ALL the time! 🙂