Italian chicken sausage pasta is creamy, comforting, and a perfect mid-week meal that is loaded with vegetables and favorite easy-to-cook protein – chicken sausage! This flavorful dish has a creamy marinara sauce base and loads of Parmesan cheese.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made using pantry staples.
- Features easy-to-cook protein – Italian chicken Sausage.
- The sauce is packed with flavors.
- A well-balanced meal, that’s perfect for a quick mid-week dinner.
- Ready in 25 minutes from start to finish!
Ingredients
- Pasta – short pasta such as Rigatoni, penne, fusilli and farfalle. Their surface area, ridges and hollow centres help trap the sauce better.
- Chicken Sausage – I like to use Italian chicken sausage; it has the best flavors. Feel free to use pork Italian sausages.
- Olive oil and Butter – using a mix of both helps in a richer sauce.
- Aromats – shallots and minced fresh garlic add flavor to the sauce. I wouldn’t recommend using onion powder and garlic powder.
- Marinara Sauce – I prefer to use homemade marinara sauce for its rich, hearty tomato flavors. You can use any traditional tomato-based pasta sauce.
- Vegetables – feel free to use any veggies of your choice – mushrooms, broccoli, baby spinach, peas work great with the dish.
- Half n half – for rich, creamy texture. Half-and-half can be replaced with heavy cream.
- Seasoning – salt, pepper, and red chili flakes. You may also use seasoning salt or Italian seasoning.
- Parmesan – adds umami-rich flavor to the pasta.
- Fresh basil – optional, but recommended. It adds fresh flavours to the dish and enhances its flavour.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water starts boiling, add a generous amount of salt to the water. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al-dente.
Reserve some of the pasta-cooking water.
Step 2: In a wide pan, heat olive oil. Cook sliced sausages for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.
Step 3: When the sausage begins to brown, add butter to the pan.
Sauté shallots and garlic.
Step 4: Add mushrooms and broccoli to the pan and saute to cook until tender.
Step 5: Add the seasoning – salt, pepper and red chili flakes to the pan. Pour the marinara sauce into the pan.
Mix and allow it to cook for a minute.
Step 6: Pour some of the pasta-cooking water into the sauce and cook it.
Mix half n half into the sauce until it blends.
Step 7: Toss cooked pasta and baby spinach. Until the pasta is covered in sauce, toss well.
Step 8: Turn off the heat, and add Parmesan cheese. Mix until the cheese incorporates into the sauce.
Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve hot.
Best Tips
- I prefer Italian chicken sausages. You can also use the spicy version. Make sure to slice the sausage into even slices so it cooks evenly and faster.
- Cook pasta al dente. Pasta will continue to cook even after it’s removed from the heat.
- Grate cheese from the block. It melts better and makes a smooth sauce. DO NOT BUY pre-grated cheese. They have additives added to them, like corn starch, to keep them from sticking. Always buy real cheese blocks.
- Turn off the heat before adding grated cheese. If the pot is too hot, the dairy in the cheese will separate and create a grainy consistency.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy, rich chicken sausage pasta can be served as a main course along with salads such as a simple chopped green salad, arugula beet salad, cucumber dill salad, and garlic bread, breadsticks, or cheddar drop biscuits.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerating – Store any leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days.
Reheating – To reheat, add a splash of milk or pasta-cooked water while reheating. Reheat in microwave safe bowl or on the stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
Any type of pasta will do, like rotini, penne, fusilli, or farfalle, which are great, as the shape of pasta helps the sauce to cling to it.
I won’t recommend using milk unless you prefer the sauce to be thin and runny. Heavy cream is best, and if you want a lighter version, use half and half.
Don’t forget to subscribe to CurryTrail Recipes below to get our newest recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
If you love this recipe, keep in touch, and don’t miss out on any of Currytrail’s recipes. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
📋25 Minutes Creamy Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta rigatoni or any other short pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 12 ounces chicken sausage Italian or chili flavor
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ⅓ cup shallots diced
- 1 cup cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup broccoli
- 24 ounces marinara sauce or other traditional tomato pasta sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- ½ cup half n half
- Handful baby spinach or regular spinach, chopped
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
- Fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water starts boiling, add a generous amount of salt to the water. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al-dente.
- Reserve some of the pasta-cooking water.
- In a wide pan, heat olive oil.
- Cook sliced sausages for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on both sides.
- When the sausage begins to brown, add butter to the pan.
- Sauté shallots and garlic.
- Add mushrooms and broccoli to the pan and saute to cook until tender.
- Add the seasoning – salt, pepper and red chili flakes to the pan. Pour the marinara sauce into the pan.
- Mix and allow it to cook for a minute.
- Pour some of the pasta-cooking water into the sauce and cook it.
- Mix half n half into the sauce until it blends.
- Toss cooked pasta and baby spinach. Until the pasta is covered in sauce, toss well.
- Turn off the heat, and add Parmesan cheese. Mix until the cheese incorporates into the sauce.
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve hot with a salad and bread on the side.
Video
Notes
- I prefer Italian chicken sausages. You can also use the spicy version. Make sure to slice the sausage into even slices so it cooks evenly and faster.
- Cook pasta al dente. Pasta will continue to cook even after it’s removed from the heat.
- Grate cheese from the block. It melts better and makes a smooth sauce. DO NOT BUY pre-grated cheese. They have additives added to them, like corn starch, to keep them from sticking. Always buy real cheese blocks.
- Turn off the heat before adding grated cheese. If the pot is too hot, the dairy in the cheese will separate and create a grainy consistency.
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
Thank you for stopping by.
I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and i’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2007 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
Leave A Reply!