Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta (Easy & Rich!)
Make this delicious Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta! An easy recipe featuring Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan in a luscious cream sauce tossed with penne.
Ingredients
(Based on 1x column)
Pasta & Sausage:
- ▢ 1 pound penne pasta (uncooked)
- ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil (or less, depending on sausage fat)
- ▢ 1 pound Italian sausage, ground (mild or hot)
Creamy Tuscan Sauce:
- ▢ 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ▢ ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (preferably oil-packed), drained and chopped
- ▢ 1 cup chicken broth (low-sodium recommended)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ▢ ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- ▢ 2 cups heavy cream
- ▢ 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)
- ▢ 2 cups baby spinach
- ▢ Salt and pepper to taste
Garnish:
- ▢ Fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
Instructions
1. Cook the Pasta:
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil.
- Add the penne pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente (tender but still firm to the bite).
- Important: Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain the pasta well and set aside.
2. Cook the Italian Sausage:
- While the pasta cooks, warm the olive oil (use less or none if sausage is fatty) in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the ground Italian sausage to the skillet. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.
- Drain off any excess fat from the skillet if necessary. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and set aside, leaving about 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan if possible for flavor.
3. Build the Sauce Base:
- Reduce the heat under the skillet to medium. Add the minced garlic to the pan drippings (add a touch more olive oil if the pan is dry).
- Sauté the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn.
- Stir in the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes (if using). Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
4. Make it Creamy:
- Pour in the heavy cream. Bring the sauce back to a gentle simmer (do not boil rapidly). Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese until it melts smoothly into the sauce.
5. Combine Remaining Ingredients:
- Stir the cooked Italian sausage back into the creamy sauce.
- Add the fresh baby spinach to the skillet. Cook, stirring gently, until the spinach is just wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as needed. Be mindful that the sausage and Parmesan are already salty.
6. Toss with Pasta:
- Add the cooked and drained penne pasta to the skillet with the sauce, sausage, and spinach.
- Toss everything together gently until the pasta is well coated in the luscious sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash or two of the reserved starchy pasta water to reach your desired consistency.
7. Serve:
- Serve the Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta immediately while hot.
- Garnish generously with torn fresh basil leaves and extra grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!