Creamy Sausage Pasta

Name: Creamy Sausage Pasta
Prep time: 8 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 16 ounces penne pasta (set aside 1/2 cup pasta water after cooking); 1 tablespoon butter; 1/2 onion (chopped small, about 1/2 cup); 1 pound Italian sausage (remove casing if using links); 1 tablespoons minced garlic (or 3-4 cloves minced finely); 2 teaspoons flour; ½ cup chicken broth (low sodium); 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; 2 cups heavy cream; ¼ cup parmesan cheese; 2 cups spinach (chopped, fresh)

Savory and delicious, this creamy Italian sausage pasta recipe is made quick, easy and so tasty! Perfect for busy nights, this dish is full of delicious sausage, tender pasta and spinach all tossed in a creamy, smooth parmesan sauce that is just as smooth and creamy as your favorite Italian restaurant.

Creamy penne pasta in a white sauce with sausage and spinach in a pan from the side with a large wooden spoon in the pan.

Table of Contents

Why We Love This Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe

Ready In 30 Minutes– This is a quick and easy pasta dish that is perfect for busy weeknights, and makes a complete meal on its own.
Creamy Cheesy Sauce– The creamy parmesan sauce flavored with sausage comes together quickly, and is my favorite part of this dish. I often make a similar chicken penne alfredo because my family loves the creamy sauce so much!
Cozy Dinner– Pasta is always a cozy dinner that is comforting, kid friendly, and will leave your whole family with full bellies.

Love one pot dinners? Try the one pot chicken parmesan pasta or the one-pot bruschetta chicken pasta.

Ingredients For Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

Ingredients for creamy sausage pasta in bowls and on a cutting board from overhead with text labels.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.

penne pasta set aside some of the pasta water after cooking
butter – you can also use olive oil
onion chopped small, about 1/2 cup
Italian sausage remove casing if using links, but you can also use ground sausage or spicy Italian sausage.
minced garlic or you can also use fresh garlic, minced finely
all purpose flour
chicken broth low sodium
Italian seasoning
black pepper
heavy cream
parmesan cheese
chopped spinach fresh

This pasta should be made in a deep skillet with high sides that is often called a sautee pan, or can even be made in more of a short stock pot or dutch oven. If your largest skillet does not have deep enough sides you can start in a regular skillet. Then when it’s time to combine the sausage, sauce and pasta combine in another large bowl. You could also make this dish in a large dutch oven.

How To Make Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water in a medium sized pot according to the package directions until al dente according to package instructions. (Usually about 9 minutes.) Strain and set aside when finished cooking, keeping ¼ cup of the starchy water the pasta cooked in.

Penne pasta in a large bowl next to a pot of water and a small bowl of salt from overhead.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft about 2-3 minutes.

Cooking onion in a large skillet from overhead with raw sausage links on a cutting board and garlic in a small bowl nearby.

Place the sausage in the skillet, removing the casing if using links. Cook the sausage with the vegetables until cooked through and no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Loose sausage browning in a skillet from overhead with spices, chicken broth and flour in small bowls nearby.

Add the flour to the sausage, sprinkling it evenly. Cook for about 30 seconds over medium high heat then turn the heat to medium-low. Add the chicken broth, Italian seasoning and pepper. Stir the mixture well to deglaze the pan.
Turn the pot to low. Pour the pasta water into the pan, followed by the heavy cream. Slowly bring the mixture to a gentle simmer until you reach medium high heat, then reduce the heat until the sauce is just simmering. Simmer the sauce for about 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Creamy sauce full of sausage pieces in a large skillet being stirred with a large spoon from above with pasta and parmesan cheese nearby .

Add the parmesan cheese to the sauce a little at a time, stirring well until it is fully mixed into the sauce. Combine the sauce with the cooked pasta and stir well until the pasta is fully covered.

Pasta being mixed into the creamy parmesan cheese sauce in a large skillet with a bowl of chopped spinach and a large spoon covered in cheese sauce nearby from above.

Add the chopped spinach and stir for about a minute until it wilts while the pasta is still hot, then serve and enjoy!

Tips For Mixing The Sauce With The Pasta

If your skillet isn’t a deep, large pan you may have to transfer the pasta and sauce to a large bowl to mix. This is totally ok! Just add the spinach while the sauce is still piping hot so the spinach wilts a little in the dish and enjoy!

If you waited a little longer and you feel the pasta and sauce has cooled too much before adding the spinach, you can cook the spinach just enough to cook it in a skillet before adding it to the pasta to make sure it wilts.

Creamy sausage pasta with a white sauce and spinach in a skillet from above on a counter.

Variation Ideas

Change The Protein- Cooked chicken, shrimp or steak are all also delicious when swapped for sausage in this pasta. Spicy sausage can also be swapped in this recipe.

Make It Vegetarian– Meatless sausage can also be swapped, or the sausage can be left out altogether for just a parmesan cream sauce on the pasta.

Swap The Type Of Pasta– There are so many noodle options to choose from! Any kind of pasta that is a short pasta will work easily in this recipe. Ziti, bowties or fusilli are some of my favorite options as they hold the sauce well.

Have rigatoni and like a red sauce? Try making this sausage and pasta in a red sauce in this Rigatoni al Forno recipe.

Alternative noodles such as chickpea or lentil pasta can be swapped cup for cup in this recipe, but know that they do tend to fall apart a little more easily if stored for leftovers in the sauce.

Swap The Spinach– Some leafy greens such as kale or chard can be swapped for the spinach in this recipe.

Add Vegetables– You can easily add vegetables to this dish but they will need to be cooked before adding them to the dish. I prefer to sautee or steam vegetables in a second pan so they don’t make the sauce watery, and add them at the end. Zucchini, bell peppers, onion, broccoli, peas or asparagus are all great options to add.

Top With Red Pepper Flakes– Cracked red pepper not only adds a little bit of zestiness, it also helps cut through the rich creaminess. This can be added at the table to your plate, or in the whole dish if everyone enjoying prefers a little more kick.

Frequently Asked Questions About This Creamy Sausage Pasta Recipe

How Long Will Creamy Sausage Pasta Last?

Store any leftovers from this creamy sausage pasta in an airtight container for up to three days. It’s a really easy recipe to make a delicious meal for the next day, the leftovers are delicious and still have incredible flavor the next day.

Can I Freeze This Creamy Sausage Pasta?

Leftovers unfortunately won’t freeze well, the sauce tends to separate and not have the same consistency when frozen.

Can I Use Frozen Spinach?

You can use frozen spinach, but will need to heat it up in a separate skillet to remove the excess water from it before adding it to the pasta. Frozen spinach will not warm up enough adding it straight to the pasta, and the excess water in frozen spinach can make the pasta sauce too runny.

You can also microwave the spinach in a bowl to defrost and warm it up. You will need to drain off the excess water. I recommend drying the spinach also well with paper towels so the cheese sauce does not become too runny.