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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!
Thank you for this delicious recipe. It has quickly become one of our favorites! I wanted to share that I made it last time in my Instant Pot, and it came out rather well. I increased the broth to 2 cups (and mixed in the lemon juice and mustard before adding) so there’d be enough liquid to bring the pot to pressure and cook the pasta. I browned the sausage with the garlic on the saute function. There wasn’t much drippings, so I left them in the pot. I poured in the broth/mustard/lemon juice mixture on top of the sausage, added the linguine on top of that, breaking it in half and pressing it down just enough to be mostly submerged in the broth. I sealed the pot and cooked those for five minutes under high pressure, and released after about 5-10 minutes. I reserved the cream, with the flour whisked into it, and the tomatoes and added those after, cooking for a few minutes on the saute function to thicken. The last thing I did was to stir in the spinach, basil and cheese just before serving. Turned out delicious!
You’re welcome!! And thank you so much for including this detailed conversion for the IP! You’ve actually inspired me to try doing more pastas in my IP now haha.
I was kind of not sure about this recipe as I’ve never cooked with sun dried tomatoes but it was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing – you’re a genius! So easy and so yummy and so comforting!
Well I’m glad you decided to give it a try! So happy you liked it. 😀
This is really good. But I did add a half of cup of extra chicken broth and 1/4 extra cup of heavy cream, along with a teaspoon of chicken bouillon to help make it more saucy as my family like more sauce. I also added 1 chopped fresh tomato, mushrooms, and more spinach. My husband loves it. Hoping my two toddlers will too tonight! Thank you
I’m so happy you liked it and were able to add more sauce! XO
This has become a staple in my household over the last couple weeks. My boyfriend loves it and my friends can’t get enough of it. And truthfully probably the best pasta dish I’ve ever made
Wonderful!! I am so glad to hear that, Jess! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
This was very good! I’ll definitely make again. I used steamed broccoli and half and half because that’s what I had in hand. Yum! This was my first recipe from your website and I’m looking forward to trying more.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Let me know if you make anything else. XO 🙂
This was delicious! We added grape tomatoes too.
Wonderful!!
I want to make this for supper but don’t have any whipping cream on hand. I do have coffee cream (half & half) will that work ….. perhaps a bit more flour for thickening?
You could try that. I think in this recipe it should be fine as long as you don’t let it boil. Yes, I’d use a little more flour to thicken it up.
Question – I can’t have the lemon (or any citrus) will that affect the taste of the sauce if I omit it? Thank you. I’m looking forward making this.
Hi Julie! It’ll still taste good without the lemon.
I need to double the recipe and make a few days ahead of time. I’m taking this to have for “first night” of our family beach vacation. We’ll cook our pasta fresh of course!
Suggestions?
I’ll send a photo!
Hi Lynn! I think doubling it should be fine. I’d use a soup pot/Dutch oven type thing to make it. I’m thinking it might be a good idea to add the spinach in when you’re reheating it… then it’ll be a nicer color and less wilted. Up to you, though! Let me know how it goes. 🙂
Another family favorite!! Not to heavy just perfect like always 🥰🥰
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know, Wendy! 🙂
This was so good! And fast! I added black olives and because I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes but did have fresh made salsa I plopped in some of that. Also when browning the sausage I added sweet colored bell pepper and onion. People asked dibs for the small container of leftovers.
I’m so glad it was a hit, Pat! 🙂