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This 30-minute Tuscan sausage pasta recipe is a super easy and incredibly comforting weeknight meal! It has a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce that’s special enough for company.
You may also like my Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta or Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
This creamy sausage pasta is one of those where you’ll keep sneaking bites of the sauce before the pasta finishes cooking. The Tuscan-inspired flavor combo of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and fresh spinach and basil is just so irresistible, much like in my Creamy Tuscan Orzo and Creamy Tuscan Chicken.
It’s surprisingly simple to make this elegant sausage pasta with a decadent and rich Tuscan cream sauce. Italian sausage and pasta just go so well together. One lovely reader said that this is their “all-time favorite dinner to cook”, and I hope you’ll agree as well!
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I like a longer shape like fettuccine for this one
- Sausage – buy either a package of Italian sausages, or use bulk sausage meat
- Garlic – for plenty of aromatic goodness
- Chicken broth – for the savory base of the sauce. You could also use a dry white wine (e.g., sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio) for a fancy touch instead.
- Dijon mustard – it doesn’t make the sauce taste “mustardy”. It just adds more depth to the overall flavor. It’s a delicious trick I use in many cream sauces!
- Flour – it’s a thickener
- Lemon juice – a pop of brightness and to balance the flavors
- Heavy cream – what makes the sauce luxurious
- Sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and basil – this trio makes up the tasty Tuscan flavor profile
- Parmesan – to top it all off! Always freshly grate it.
Pro Tip
I used 3 sausages out of a 5-pack of Johnsonville Mild Italian sausages. You can add a bit more or less, and it won’t make or break the recipe.
How to make Tuscan sausage pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Boil the pasta. Meanwhile, crumble the sausage into a skillet, and sauté until browned. Transfer to a plate, and discard most of the fat from the pan. Add the garlic, broth, Dijon, flour, and lemon.
Stir, scraping up the browned bits, and let it bubble for about a minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cream, cooking for a couple of minutes. Return the sausage to the pan, and cook until thickened a little.
Stir in the basil and spinach until it wilts. Taste the sauce, and season with salt & pepper as necessary. Toss with the drained pasta, and top with fresh parm if using.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- This Le Creuset skillet is the one I use.
- A Microplane zester is the best way to freshly grate parmesan from a block for a delicious, fluffy dusting of cheese.
- I find it easiest to toss and serve longer shaped pasta with kitchen tongs.
Substitutions and variations
- I use mild Italian sausage, but if you prefer some heat, try hot Italian sausage or add a pinch of cayenne pepper or some red pepper flakes to this dish.
- You can use any pasta you have on hand for this creamy sausage pasta. Want to try making your own pasta to make this dish extra special? My friend Krissy has a Homemade Pasta Recipe for that.
- I don’t recommend substituting the heavy cream for something lower fat. It won’t taste as rich as intended or thicken up properly and could potentially curdle.
What to serve with this sausage pasta
- A slice of fresh crusty bread rounds out this hearty pasta, and Cheesy Garlic Bread works too.
- For a salad pairing, try my Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad. I also like to go all out with a Caesar salad and my 10-Minute Caesar Dressing. No blender needed.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftover sausage pasta for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- Reheat slow in a saucepan over a low heat until warmed through.
- You could freeze leftovers, but the texture might change, so I avoid it.
If you made this Tuscan sausage pasta, please leave a star rating and review in the comments below! You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Tuscan Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta I used fettuccine
- 11 ounces Italian sausages see note
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1.5 cups (loosely packed) fresh baby spinach
- Small handful fresh basil torn/chopped
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, take the sausages out of their casings and crumble the meat into a skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's nicely browned on the outside.
- Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. If there’s a lot of fat, discard most of it.
- Add the garlic, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, flour, and lemon juice to the pan. Stir until well combined (be sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan) and let it bubble for a minute or two.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cream to the pan. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sausage back into the pan. Cook for another few minutes until the sauce has thickened up a bit.
- Stir in the basil and spinach. Let it cook for a minute or so until it wilts. Give the sauce a taste and season with extra salt & pepper if needed.
- Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce. Serve immediately with some freshly grated parmesan if desired.
Notes
- I use the julienned sun-dried tomatoes that are packed in oil and drain the oil prior to adding them to the pan.
- I use 3 sausages from a 5-pack of Johnsonville mild Italian sausages. Anything in the ballpark weight-wise will work.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on January 5, 2019. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
This recipe is amazing and my all time favorite dinner to cook when we have guest over. It taste amazing and it can look super fancy!! Its got the wow factor, the colors are just gorgeous!!
Aww thank you so much!! I’m glad it’s a hit!!
I am so excited to make this recipe! I love the combination of the pasta, sausage, and sauce. It also looks so manageable for me as a beginner cook.
Hi Melissa!! I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if you make it! 🙂
This recipe makes a wonderful meal! We use impossible sausage to cut down on the fat a bit, and it was still very, very good. We also use Bucatini pasta to soak up some of the sauce….so good. Thank you, love your recipes!
Fantastic!!! I’m so glad it was a hit. 😀
Do you think it would be good with coconut cream to replace the heavy whipping cream? I need it to be dairy free
Hi! If you’re used to making that swap and enjoy it, I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I do find you can sometimes taste the coconut a bit, but there’s lots of bold flavors in here, so I think it would be worth a try. Let me know!
Can the recipe be doubled? Specifically,
If I use 1 pound of pasta do I then use 2 cups of cream? It sounds like a lot.
Hi! So, I think you could probably get away with using a bit more pasta and a bit less cream, but then you’ll end up with less sauce overall. It is a fairly flexible recipe… like if you add a bit less cream you won’t wreck it or anything, it just may have a slightly different consistency. You could add more chicken broth instead, for example, but then it won’t be quite as thick.
I made this for dinner last night. What a hit! It was so flavorful and delicious! I doubled the recipe for my family of 5 and I like to have leftovers for lunch. I am adding this to my dinner rotation. Thank you 🙂
You’re welcome!!
This recipe is Wonderful!! Have made it many times. I always put in the whole lb of Hot sausage and since I often don’t have fresh basil I use a little dried. And don’t hate me, but I use wide egg noodles. Same size and taste as fettuccine but fewer carbs. So darn delicious.
I’m so happy you like this recipe!! And egg noodles are great… whatever works for you! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
This is my favorite pasta dish to make and eat. Guests ask for the recipe! So flavorful and delicious. Plus it’s so easy to make! I use orecchiette pasta to catch the sauce in every bite!
I’m so happy you like it, Elizabeth!! Appreciate your review. 😀
This was so good and came together very quickly. I did substitute half and half for the cream because that’s what I had. I also added some pasta water to the sauce. Next time I think will add some red pepper flakes, but this will definitely go in the regular rotation.
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it, Jennifer! 😀
I followed this recipe to the letter but I did double the sauce ingredients and use baby kale instead of spinach. So I guess I did t follow it to the letter! We loved it and I would have to say the ingredient that elevates the whole sauce is the Dijon! Will definitely add to the fall/winter rotation!
Fantastic!! I’m so glad it was enjoyed. 😀