This easy and quick creamy sausage pasta recipe will become a staple in your house. It is so insanely delicious and the ultimate comfort food in my opinion. Sausage meat is cooked until golden then mixed into a decadent parmesan cream sauce with sage and onion. It's special enough for a date night with some homemade pasta but easy enough for busy weeknights. The whole family will love this one!
Hi! Look, you know I love a creamy sauce, sue me! This is like my Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta minus the tomato. It's is my ultimate comfort food. Simple and common ingredients to form a delicious dish you will come back to again and again. This should be your dinner tonight! Try my Creamy Salmon Pasta next!
I've used a rigatoni pasta but if you feel like making some pasta from scratch, use my homemade pasta dough recipe. You could make some homemade pappardelle or for a hand rolled shape, use my semolina pasta dough to make some gnocchi sardi or orecchiette.
Ingredients:
Sausage meat - I like to use pork and fennel sausage as it's my particular favorite. You could use spicy Italian sausage or any other type of sausage that you like. It's squeezed out of the casings before cooking.
Onion - I like to cook the onions low and slow first, not to the point of caramelized onions but really soft and glassy.
Fresh sage - It adds such an earthy flavor to the sauce and I love to top the dish with some crisp sage too.
Cream - I prefer to use a light or single cream. I find the heat and parmesan thickens it up. If you only have heavy cream or just prefer it you can always add an extra splash of pasta water.
Parmesan cheese - The key to any delicious creamy pasta sauce! Finely grated with a microplane or the star side of a box grater is best.
Optional extras:
- Fennel seeds - I am obsessed with fennel seeds and think they go so well in this sauce.
- Red pepper flakes - If you want a kick sprinkle in ¼ - ½ teaspoon at the end.
- Olives - Like in my Creamy Mushroom Sauce with Olives, they add a lovely hit of seasoning.
Expert tips
- Take your time to cook the onions so they get slightly sweet but definitely not too coloured. The reason they get put aside after cooking is because parmesan can clump onto onions when being mixed into the cream. After testing I found it best to add them back in with pasta at the end.
- Don't constantly move the ground sausage around when cooking as it won't brown that way. You want some nice golden colour on the meat.
- The cream should never be boiling just a really nice gentle simmer on a medium or even medium-low heat.
- If using dried pasta, undercook it by a minute so it can bubble away IN the sauce for a minute or two at end and still be al dente.
- Always reserve a mug of the starchy pasta water before draining. I like to try and time the pasta cooking and sauce so I can transfer the cooked pasta straight into the sauce. I use a spider strainer for this.
How to make this creamy sausage pasta dish
The full ingredient list, method and a short tutorial video are in the recipe card below.
ONE: Gently fry the onions in a large skillet over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes and then set aside.
TWO: Fry the sausage meat on a medium-high heat, breaking up with a wooden spoon until cooked through. Add the chopped sage and cook for a further 30 seconds.
THREE: Lower the heat, push the meat to one side and add the cream. Don't stress if it looks a bit dodgy with the fats not mixing in, it will come together. Scrape the browned bits from bottom of the skillet.
FOUR: Add the parmesan in 2 - 3 seperate lots, letting it melt in between each addition. I like to use a flat whisk for this. Add the pepper and lemon juice.
FIVE: Add the cooked pasta, the onions and mix well.
SIX: Let it gently bubble for a minute or two altogether. Add a splash of pasta water if you need to loosen.
Salting your pasta water correctly
If you can stomach a mouthful of your pasta water, you probably haven't salted it enough! I have learnt a lot about salting water from Samin Nosrat and her book and series Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat.
For two people I generally use about 1.75L of boiling water and I use about ¾ - 1 tablespoon of table salt. Personally, I don't want to waste fancy salt in water. Table salt is generally the saltiest of all salts so if you use something like Diamond Crystal Kosher salt or Maldon, you might need to go closer to 1.5-2 tablespoons.
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Experiment with what works for your tastes. I can't stress enough the importance of salting your pasta water. It makes a HUGE difference. Remember, pasta has zero salt in it so seasoning your water is the one chance you have to add some flavour INTO the pasta.
Chicken and mushroom pasta
If you love this sausage pasta then this new recipe has to be added to your weeknight list!
Recipe FAQs
I prefer to use a single or light cream. I find the heat and parmesan thickens it up. If you only have heavy cream or just prefer it you can always add an extra splash of pasta water.
Absolutely! Use whatever you like the flavor of, anything will work! Beef, lamb even chicken! Mild or hot italian sausage would be great options, I just personally love pork and fennel.
Yes definitely. You could add some cooked sliced bell peppers, broccoli florets or zucchini. Some toasted mushrooms would be divine too or a big handful of fresh spinach. I like to think of my recipes as a good base to make your own.
I'm always secretly judging anyone who has pasta leftovers! I don't love re-heating pasta but you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for two days.
Crispy sage topping
If you want to make the crispy sage leaves on top (totally optional!) then follow my 10 Minute Brown Butter recipe. You can halve the butter and sage amounts. It does make a delicious topping for any pasta dish.
Looking for more delicious pasta recipes to try?
If you loved this creamy sausage pasta recipe then with a simple squeeze of tomato paste you can make my Creamy Tomato and Sausage Pasta. My Delicious Sausage Pasta Bake is also a must, one for the entire family. For a similar but much richer option then you have to make my Ragu Bianco (white bolognese).
Sausage Pasta
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Recipe
Best Creamy Sausage Pasta Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 brown onion cut into thin slices
- 220 grams sausages about 3 sausages casings removed and meat squeezed out (I use pork and fennel)
- 1 ½ tablespoons fresh sage leaves roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds optional, see notes
- ¾ cup cream
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 50 grams parmesan finely grated
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- Lemon zest and extra parmesan to serve
- Pasta of your choice see notes
Instructions
- Cook your pasta in a large pot of well salted water according to package instructions (I undercook dried pasta by a minute so it can bubble away in the sauce at the end and not overcook).
- In a large skillet melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat and gently fry the onions for 5 - 6 minutes, adding a pinch of salt half way through. Cook until soft and glassy. You don't want lots of colour on them so lower the heat if you need and keep moving round.
- Set them aside on a plate.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over a medium-high heat and when sizzling add the sausage meat. Break up with a wooden spoon but don't move around too much as you want some nice colour on it.
- Cook for 3 - 4 minutes until cooked through.
- Add the sage and fennel seeds if using and cook for a 30 seconds - 1 minute.
- Lower the heat, push the meat to one side of the pan and add the cream, you only want a very gentle simmer, it shouldn't ever be boiling. (see video below!)
- Don't worry if the cream looks a bit dodgy with the butter and sausage fat at top, it will come together once you whisk the cheese in.
- Add the parmesan to the cream, in a two seperate lots, letting it melt into the cream before adding the next lot. I like to use a whisk.
- Add the black pepper and lemon juice and mix quickly with a whisk.
- Add your cooked pasta straight into the sauce along with the onions, toss well and let it all bubble away gently for a minute or two.
- Taste for seasoning and add a pinch or two of sea salt if it needs it.
- Add a splash of pasta water to loosen if you need.
- Serve with extra parmesan and lemon zest on top.
Video
Notes
- Sausages - I use pork and fennel as they are my favorite. I add in some fennel seeds too because maybe I have a fennel addiction, who knows! Use whatever sausages you love and leave out the fennel seeds if you want.
- Pasta - Weigh your pasta portions, it's a 1 minute job and means you get the perfect sauce to pasta ratio. I allow 100 grams dried pasta per person or 150 grams fresh, so 200g dried or 300g fresh for this recipe.
- Double the recipe for 4 people.
- Lemon - I love adding lemon juice to creamy sauces as it cuts through the richness. If you aren't a fan leave it out or just use ½ tablespoon.
- Crispy sage topping - I fried some sage leaves in butter for a topping. Totally optional, you can check out my 10 minute brown butter for pasta recipe for the tutorial and just halve the ingredients.
Jess says
Absolutely delicious recipe. I added some chopped garlic and spinach, and left out the lemon (forgot to buy one!) and it was lovely. I used double cream (leftover from Christmas), but I can definitely see why the recipe recommends single cream because the sauce ended up quite thick once the parmesan was added. However, nothing an extra cup of pasta water couldn't fix! 🙂
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much for making Jess! I love adding spinach too 🙂
Sylvie Taylor says
Made this tonight for dinner and added sliced fennel at the same time as the onion (instead of fennel seeds) and wow!! This is definitely a make again! Thanks Emilie
Emilie Pullar says
I'm definitely adding some sliced fennel next time! Thanks so much for making 🙂
Beth says
This recipe is very easy and super delicious. You should definitely try it. It is now a staple in my family.
Emilie Pullar says
That makes me so happy, thanks Beth!