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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!
Just yummy! Easy to make and delicious.
Great!!
I didn’t have sun dried tomatoes or spinach, which I would have preferred, so I used peas. It turned out amazing! I’m excited to try it next time with the spinach and sun dried tomatoes. I love this recipe, and so did my husband! Thank you so much!
I’m glad it still worked out!!
Can this be made with frozen spinach?
Hi! I suppose you could, but I’d be sure to squeeze the water out really well. In my experience, frozen doesn’t taste quite as good and it sorta disintegrates, so I’d use fresh if you can.
I made two versions of this recipe. The first version was as it is here. For the second version, i substituted Silk Heavy Cream and used fewer sun dried tomatoes. Both versions came out delicious!!
Awesome!!
Oh my! This was really good. I had some Kale that needed to be used and it fit perfectly in place of the spinach. We will definitely make this again!
Great!! So glad it worked out. 🙂
Loved it! Also added about 1/3 cup of pitted halved Kalamata olives to this recipe for a bit of extra tang! It was a HUGE hit!
Excellent! And you have good taste… kalamata olives are my fav! 😉
Amazing winter warmer, i like to use Lincolnshire sausages too and a bit of chilli too, great recipe, thanks
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Joe!
YUM!
So glad you liked it!
Try it with a handful of chopped olives. Yum.
Great idea! Love olives!
Would using broccoli rabe and white beans with the sun dried tomatoes but eliminating the spinach work well in this recipe?
I think that would be fine! The broccoli rabe may take a little longer to wilt than spinach, so I’d just be mindful of that. Let me know how it goes!