Name: Creamy Sausage Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 pound rigatoni; 16 ounces mild Italian sausage; Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional); 28 ounces marinara sauce; 1 cup heavy cream; 1 cup frozen peas; 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

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Italian sausage, a creamy tomato sauce, and chewy pasta makes for the perfect weeknight dinner in just 30 minutes! This Creamy Sausage Pasta is perfection and it couldn’t be easier.

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Find me face first in this one.

Rich and hearty Italian sauce, tender chewy pasta, and a doctored up jar of marinara makes the best little weeknight pasta situation.

This creamy sausage pasta is fancy enough to serve to guests (it’s the peas, I don’t know why but they just make this feel special), but it’s ready in 30 minutes in just 2 pots.

The creamy tomato sauce does start with a jar of marinara to give us a little shortcut, but the end result tastes like a sauce that has been simmering away all day. Kind of obsessed with this one, honestly.

And honestly, the peas…this might be the only way I can get peas in front of my family without complaint.

♥ 3 Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe:

Fast and easy. It only takes about 30 minutes to get this meal on the table, but it’ll taste like you spent all day working on it!

Kid-friendly. Even with the peas in here the kiddos always love this sausage pasta! The rich, creamy tomato sauce really makes it magical.

Pantry-friendly ingredients. Italian sausage, marinara, cream, and pasta. Nothing fancy, nothing you need to hunt down at a specialty store.

Ingredients, Swaps & Tips:

Ingredients for creamy sausage pasta recipe.

Pasta: Rigatoni holds the sauce beautifully, but penne, ziti, or farfalle are all excellent choices too.
Sausage: We go for mild Italian sausage and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a touch of heat. Not spicy enough? Use hot Italian sausage or double up on the red pepper flakes! This is also delicious with ground beef. Add some Italian seasoning to amp it up.
Cream: No heavy cream? Stir in 4 ounces of cream cheese or Boursin instead. Add a splash of milk to thin it out if necessary. Just don’t let the sauce boil or it can curdle!
Peas: The pop of green in this pasta just really makes this special. It’s also an easy way to get peas in my kids without complaint.
Marinara Sauce: You can use any brand of jarred marinara sauce that you like, or even just make your own! Our favorite store bought brand is Rao’s. We think it has the best flavor!

Step by Step:

Brown the sausage in a skillet and stir in the marinara sauce.

Pour in the cream and peas and cook around 10 minutes. Do not boil!

Skillet full of easy sausage pasta recipe.

Stir in the cooked pasta and Parmesan until everything is combined and creamy. Taste and add additional seasoning, if needed.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve this creamy sausage pasta with a side of our air fryer garlic bread or a quick green salad with our easy garlic dressing to balance out the richness.

For a cozier dinner spread, add a side of roasted veggies. Just toss in olive oil and a bit of seasoning and roast at 400 until tender. Broccoli is a favorite and only takes about 20 minutes.

Storage:

Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat: Warm gently on the stove or in the microwave with a splash of cream or milk to loosen the sauce.

Freeze: This pasta is best enjoyed fresh. The cream can separate after freezing so the texture isn’t going to be the same.

More cozy pasta favorites:

Recipe

Creamy Sausage Pasta

Creamy Sausage Pasta is full of flavor with a rich and creamy tomato sauce and mild Italian sausage with red pepper flakes for a little heat! Ready in just 30 minutes with big, bold Italian flavor.

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Prep5

Cook25

Total30

Serves

Ingredients

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni according to package directions.
While the water is coming to a boil, brown the sausage with the red pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Do not drain the fat as it adds flavor.
Add the marinara to the skillet and let cook over medium-low heat. Pour in the heavy cream and peas and let cook for about 10 minutes, until the pasta is done. Be sure not to let the sauce boil.
When the pasta is cooked to your liking, drain and return to the pot. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Tips & Notes:

Pasta: You can use any short cut pasta here. We like rigatoni, but penne, ziti, or farfalle would work fine.

Sausage: We prefer mild Italian sausage and add in a pinch of red pepper for a tiny bit of spice. You can also purchase hot italian sausage or add more/less red pepper flakes to suit your tastes.

Cream: If you don’t have heavy cream on hand, 4 ounces of cream cheese or Boursin cheese will melt into the sauce nicely. Add a splash of milk if you think the sauce needs it. Be sure not to boil the sauce once the dairy has been added or it may curdle.

Peas: This is one instance where my kids don’t revolt when they see peas, so I never skip them. Sometimes I do swap for the frozen peas and carrots mixture. Both work great here and they add a nice little pop to sauce.

Nutrition Information:

Author: Karly Campbell

Course:Main Course

Cuisine:American, Italian

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