Creamy Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta (One Pot)

This spicy Italian sausage pasta smothered in a delicious creamy sauce is prepared in 30 minutes in one pot, making one of those easy dinner ideas ideal for busy weeknights. 

Spicy Sausage Pasta Recipe

This pasta recipe is bursting with spicy flavor and a creamy sauce consistency!

We used a hot or spicy Italian sausage but you can replace it with a mild type if you prefer, or even with linguiça (mildly spicy pork sausage from Portugal, very popular in Brazil).  

If you don't have bow tie pasta (or farfalle) at home, you can use pasta shells, orecchiette, mini penne, or mezzi rigatoni instead which will hold well our light creamy sauce.  

Because this pasta meal is all made using just one pot, it also makes it mess-free.

Serve it as a main dish that can pair well with a side of crusty bread, cooked vegetables, or a fresh salad. 

For making it a complete dish, you can add baby spinach to the pasta, 2-3 minutes before cook time comes to the end.  

As if it wasn't enough, our one-pot sausage pasta (macarronada com linguiça calabresa) is made with everyday ingredients and is budget-friendly. 

All you have to do is lightly brown the sausage, sweat the onions and garlic, add a chunky tomato sauce, chicken broth, pasta, and salt, and then cook everything together at once.

To finish the dish, stir in the heavy cream and serve with Parmesan and parsley on top. What could be easier than that?

This family favorite simple meal is ready in less than 30 minutes. 

Ingredients and Substitutions

You will need the following ingredients to make this creamy pasta dish:

For the Creamy Sausage Pasta:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or mild vegetable oil)
• 1 lb of your favorite hot or spicy Italian sausage, sliced (or you can replace it with chorizo, bratwurst linguiça, or andouille. If you are not a fan of heat,  use a mild sausage)
• 1 large yellow onion, small diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable stock) 
• 2 cups chunky tomato sauce (I used Ragú® Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion Sauce)
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more if desired
• 12 oz dry bowtie or farfalle pasta ( or you can use pasta shells, orecchiette, mini penne, or mezzi rigatoni instead)
• ⅓ cup of heavy cream (TIP: For a creamier pasta, add also 4 oz of room temperature cream cheese, cut into chunks)

Toppings:

• Grated Parmesan cheese
• 2-3 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley (or fresh basil)

How to Make Sausage Pasta

1. Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and lightly brown the sausage on both sides, about 4-6 minutes. PIC. 1 Remove excess oil!
2. Reduce the heat to medium and sweat the diced onions for about 3 minutes, occasionally stirring (don't let them brown). PIC. 2 Add the garlic and let cook for about 1 minute, stirring once and a while.  PIC. 3
3. Stir in the Italian seasoning for about 10 seconds and add the broth little by little while stirring to scrape the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce and the salt, then add the pasta. If you enjoy spicy foods or are adding a mild sausage, add a pinch of red pepper flakes! PICS. 4 & 5
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for about 13-15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Make sure to stir gently once in a while to prevent the pasta to stick. If needed, add some extra broth or water (just enough for the pasta to cook). PIC. 6
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream and cream cheese if you want. Stir until creamy and homogeneous (and there are no chunks of cream cheese). Adjust the salt! PIC. 7
6. Let the pasta sit for about 2-3 minutes in order for the cream to heat through and the sauce to thicken. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese and parsley on top and serve. PIC. 8

Types of Italian Sausage

Italian sausage is a pork sausage, fresh or uncured in most cases, seasoned with fennel as the main ingredient plus garlic, anise, coriander, pepper, and other spices.  

There are 3 kinds: Hot, mild, and sweet.

All 3 types are made with the same ingredients, except the hot kind has an extra ingredient, Calabrian chile pepper or hot red pepper flakes while the sweet type has sweet basil which differentiates them from the mild sausage.  

What is the Best Substitute for Spicy Italian Sausage?

Chorizo (Mexican or Spanish sausage), bratwurst (German), and andouille (French and Cajun) make great subs for hot Italian sausage.

They don't contain the same ingredients as a spicy Italian sausage and consequently, they won't taste the same but they are still suitable substitutes when it comes to heat. 

Alternatively, you can replace hot Italian sausage with mild Italian sausage and add red pepper flakes to the creamy pasta sauce. 

Variations for Italian Sausage Pasta

You can vary some ingredients to make this pasta recipe different every time as follows:

• Pasta: Use use pasta shells, orecchiette, mini penne, or mezzi rigatoni instead of bowtie pasta. Even spaghetti or fettuccini would be a good choice because any of these pastas go well with light creamy sauce.  
• Sausage: You can use just about any sausage you enjoy. For spicy sausages, linguiça, andouille sausage, chorizo, and bratwurst are great for this sausage pasta recipe. Or you can use any sweet or mild sausage of your choice. For lower fat versions, use chicken or turkey Italian sausage. 
• Heavy Cream:  For a lighter pasta sauce, use half and half instead of heavy cream and light creamy cheese to cut down a few calories but the sauce won't be as creamy and rich. 
• Add-ons: You may add fresh spinach, kale, or Swiss chard to make this pasta recipe a complete dish. Or you may add some sun-dried tomatoes, peas, mushrooms, or chopped canned artichokes. 

Tips for Making One Pot Sausage Pasta 

This 30-minute sausage pasta recipe is quick, easy, and uses common ingredients. It's a perfect weeknight meal and tastes as if it came from a restaurant! Here are a few tips to make the best sausage pasta ever:

• Make sure to cook your pasta al dente. This means that the pasta is tender but is still firm enough to hold its shape.
• After stirring in the cream and cream cheese, allow the pasta to sit for about 2-3 minutes so the sauce can thicken. 
• For a creamier sauce, add cream cheese to the recipe. Make sure the sauce it is at room temperature and the sauce is homogeneous before adding the pasta. 
• For a cheesy sauce, add Parmesan to the sauce itself instead of only serving it on top of the pasta. 
• For making a complete pasta dish, add veggies to the pasta. 
• After browning the sausage, make sure to remove any excess oil so you don't wind up with a greasy cream sauce.
• Brown the sausage until is crisp and golden around the edges.
• Reheat the sausage pasta over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave. But add some heavy cream while reheating to loosen the sauce and bring back some creaminess. 

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

You can reheat the dish in the microwave or in a pan, with a few tablespoons of cream to loosen the sauce.

Freezing is not recommended because it can break the sauce apart. But you can store the cooked pasta (cooked 1-2 minutes before becoming al dente and fully cool) in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month.

Thaw it in the fridge overnight and then make the rest of the recipe right before serving. 

Other Italian Pasta Recipes 

• Shrimp Carbonara
• Ziti al Forno
• Penne Pomodoro
• Pasta Bolognese
• Mediterranean Pasta
• Shrimp Scampi Pasta

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Creamy Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta (One Pot)

This spicy Italian sausage pasta smothered in a delicious creamy sauce is prepared in 30 minutes in one pot, making one of those easy dinner ideas ideal for busy weeknights

Course:Dinner

Cuisine:Italian

Keywords:pasta recipe, sausage pasta, Spicy Italian sausage

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories579.7 kcal

Author Denise Browning

Cost $ 1.50 per person

Equipment

• 1 pot
• 1 wooden spoon

Ingredients

For the creamy sausage pasta:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or mild vegetable oil
• 1 lb hot or spicy Italian sausage sliced (or you can replace it with chorizo, bratwurst linguiça, or andouille. If you are not a fan of heat, use a mild sausage. For a lower fat dish, use turkey or chicken sausage)
• 1 large yellow onion small diced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
• 2 cups chunky tomato sauce I used Ragú® Chunky Tomato Garlic & Onion Sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt or more if desired
• 12 oz dry bowtie pasta or you can use pasta shells, orecchiette, mini penne, or mezzi rigatoni instead. For a wholesome pasta dish, use whole wheat pasta. For a low-carb dish, use keto pasta. Make sure to adjust the cooking time!
• ⅓ cup of heavy cream TIP: For a creamier pasta, add also 4 oz of room temperature cream cheese, cut into chunks. For a lighter sauce, use half and half and a light cream cheese.

Toppings:

• Parmesan cheese grated
• 2 tablespoon chopped parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and lightly brown the sausage on both sides, about 4-6 minutes. Remove excess oil!
• Reduce the heat to medium and sweat the diced onions for about 3 minutes, occasionally stirring (don't let them brown). Add the garlic and let cook for about 1 minute, stirring once and a while.
• Stir in the Italian seasoning for about 10 seconds and add the broth little by little while stirring to scrape the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomato sauce and the salt, then add the pasta. If you enjoy spicy foods or are adding a mild sausage, add a pinch of red pepper flakes!
• Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and let it simmer for about 13-15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente. Make sure to stir gently once in a while to prevent the pasta to stick. If needed, add some extra broth or water (just enough for the pasta to cook).
• Turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream and cream cheese if you want. Stir until creamy and homogeneous (and there are no chunks of cream cheese). Adjust the salt!
• Let the pasta sit for about 2-3 minutes in order for the cream to heat through and the sauce to thicken. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan cheese and parsley on top and serve.

Recipe Notes

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

You can reheat the dish in the microwave or in a pan, with a few tablespoons of cream to loosen the sauce.

Freezing is not recommended because it can break the sauce apart. But you can store the cooked pasta (cooked 1-2 minutes before becoming al dente and fully cool) in an airtight container in the freezer for up to one month.

Thaw it in the fridge overnight and then make the rest of the recipe right before serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 579.7kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.4g | Protein: 21.3g | Fat: 34.4g | Saturated Fat: 12.4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15.6g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1628.4mg | Potassium: 625mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 4.4g | Vitamin A: 668IU | Vitamin C: 10.8mg | Calcium: 73.1mg | Iron: 4.1mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

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POST FIRST PUBLISHED ON JUNE 15, 2015.