Creamy Tuscan sausage pasta is an indulgent dish that will transport your taste buds to Italy!
Every bite is loaded with salty sausage, chewy sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach enveloped in a luscious, garlicky cream sauce.
It’s comfort food at its finest – hearty, satisfying, and bursting with flavor in every forkful.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
Quick and Easy: This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare, making it perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute dinner plans.
Restaurant Quality Taste: Despite its simplicity, this dish delivers a rich, hearty taste that rivals a high-end Italian restaurant.
Crowd-Pleaser: The combination of savory Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach in a creamy sauce is always a hit. Plus, you can easily multiply the recipe, making it ideal for family dinners, date nights, or entertaining guests.
Fantastic Leftovers: The flavors in this dish continue to develop overnight, making it excellent for meal prep or next-day lunches. It is just as delicious – if not more so – than when it’s freshly made.
Ingredients
- Penne Pasta: The perfect shape to capture the creamy, dreamy sauce in every forkful.
- Italian Sausage: Packed with fennel and spices for a flavor explosion in every bite. Grab bulk for easy prep.
- Olive Oil: Just a splash to sauté the sausage and bloom the garlic.
- Garlic: adds a subtle layer of aromatic flavor.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Chewy, tangy, and umami-rich, they add Mediterranean flair.
- Heavy Cream: The velvety base that brings the sauce together.
- Chicken Broth: Adds savory depth to balance the cream’s richness.
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. A quartet of spices to make the flavors sing.
- Parmesan Cheese: Nutty, salty, and an iconic pairing with cream sauce.
- Baby Spinach: Fresh greens that wilt down for a pop of color and nutrients.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: A fragrant finishing touch that brightens the whole dish.
How to Make Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
The flavors and textures in the dish are out of this world.
And twirling those saucy noodles around my fork, getting a little bit of everything in each bite…pure bliss.
This is totally my new go-to pasta night recipe when I want something comforting yet impressive.
Here’s how to make it:
1. COOK the pasta in well-salted water until al dente (per the package directions). Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.
2. BROWN the sausage, then remove it from the skillet.
3. SAUTÉ the garlic in the same skillet until fragrant, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Simmer until slightly thickened.
4. STIR in the cream and Parmesan, followed by the cooked sausage and baby spinach. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. MIX in the cooked penne and adjust the sauce with the reserved pasta water if needed.
6. SERVE hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Tips For the Best Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
The main thing to remember when making this dish is to save some of the pasta water.
It’s the easiest way to adjust the sauce without making it too water.
Other than that, here’s a few handy tips and variations:
- Sausage selection. Use high-quality mild or spicy Italian sausage for the best flavor. Bulk sausage keeps the prep minimal, but you can use links and simply remove the casings.
- Garlic tip. Sauté the garlic just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. You want to avoid burning it.
- Thicken the sauce. Let the cream sauce simmer for a few minutes to thicken up. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Pasta choice. While penne is my go-to, you can use any pasta shape. Rigatoni or Cavatappi are fantastic options. Try to use pasta with ridges and crevices to soak up the cream sauce.
- Cheese choice. Freshly grated Parmesan provides the best flavor and texture. You can also mix in some mozzarella or Romano for extra cheesy goodness.
- Heavy cream substitute. You can replace some (or all) of the heavy cream with half-and-half or evaporated milk. This makes a lighter cream sauce.
- Add-ins and swaps. Add sautéed garlic butter mushrooms, roasted red peppers, and crispy bacon, or swap the spinach for kale or arugula.
- Perfect pairings. Serve this creamy pasta with crusty garlic bread and a simple green salad. Roasted vegetables like broccoli or asparagus are also delicious.
How to Store
As mentioned, this pasta dish tastes even better the next day! But you need to know how to store and reheat it properly so it doesn’t dry out:
To Store: Place the cooled pasta in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
To Reheat: Warm the pasta in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until warm. Add a splash of cream or milk if the sauce needs thinning.
Freezing is not recommended for this dish. The cream-based sauce may separate, and the pasta can become mushy when thawed, affecting the overall texture and quality.
More Hearty Pasta Dishes You’ll Love
Rasta Pasta with Jerk Chicken
Crockpot Olive Garden Chicken Pasta
Creamy Butternut Squash Pasta
Garlic Parmesan Pasta
Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
6
servings15
minutes15
minutes923
kcalCreamy Tuscan sausage pasta features tender penne with Italian sausage and luscious sauce packed with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and Parmesan.
Ingredients
1 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound Italian sausage, ground
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves, torn, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the penne pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water before draining. Set both aside.
- Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute, then stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Add the cream, bring to a simmer, and cook for 3-5 minutes to thicken.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese, followed by the cooked sausage and baby spinach. Cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the cooked penne to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce, adding some reserved pasta water if needed to thin the sauce.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes
- For the best flavor, use high-quality mild or spicy Italian sausage. If you can’t find it in bulk, get links and remove the casings.
- Let the cream sauce simmer for a few minutes to thicken up. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
