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Pasta with Sausage Cream Sauce

Pasta with Sausage Cream Sauce- Pasta coated in a rich, creamy sauce with Parmesan cheese and nicely browned and crusted Italian sausage equals comfort food in a bowl. This meal is irresistible and perfect for enjoying by the fire on a cold autumn night.

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Pasta with Sausage Cream Sauce in a pasta bowl.

Type Of Pasta To Use

I used cavatappi, but you could also use penne, fusilli, or orecchiette (which is the one I really wanted to use but couldn’t find.)

How To Cook The Sausage

I used a pound of bulk mild Italian sausage, but you could use hot Italian sausage instead. For cooking the sausage I used a method I learned from Cook’s Illustrated. Ordinarily if you sauté Italian sausage and break it apart as it cooks, by the time you develop some nice browning on it, the sausage becomes a little dry and chewy.

But if you sprinkle some baking soda on it, let it sit for a few minutes, then cook it in a big patty so you can get a nice sear on each side without overcooking it, it stays fabulously tender. Take it out of the pan while still undercooked, chop it into bite-sized pieces and let it finish cooking in the cream sauce. Delicious!

Pasta dished up in a pasta bowl.

Equipment Needed For Pasta With Sausage Cream Sauce

  • Pasta Pot- I really recommend using a pasta pot like this with a lid strainer. I was badly burned on my arm a few years ago carrying a pot of boiling water to the sink. Now I always use a pot like this one so the water can’t spill out on my way to the sink.
  • Large Skillet
Pasta with Sausage Cream Sauce in a bowl.

More Easy Pasta Recipes

Pasta with Sausage Cream Sauce

Pasta with Sausage Cream Sauce is comfort food in a bowl. Parmesan cheese, white wine, and a little nutmeg flavor this rich, tomatoless sauce.
PREP: 10 minutes
COOK: 20 minutes
TOTAL: 30 minutes
SERVINGS: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sweet or mild Italian sausage
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 small sweet or yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 12 ounces pasta cooked until al dente, reserve 1/2 cup cooking liquid

Instructions

  • Sprinkle both sides of sausage with baking soda and shape into a large hamburger patty about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick. Let sit 10 minutes.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Place sausage on a plate or cutting board and cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer sausage to a bowl and add cream. Set aside.
  • If there is more than 1 1/2 tablespoons of grease in skillet, discard excess. Add onion to skillet and cook over medium heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
  • Add wine and cook until reduced in half.
  • Add sausage/cream mixture and simmer 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add nutmeg, parsley, and Parmesan. Remove from heat and stir until cheese is melted. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved cooking liquid.
  • Toss sauce with pasta and serve.

Notes

If you want to make this pasta dish spicy, add 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes.

Nutrition

Calories: 976kcal
Author: Christin Mahrlig
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: pasta, sausage

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Originally posted November 5, 2014.

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22 thoughts on “Pasta with Sausage Cream Sauce”

  1. I wonder if you meant corn starch instead of baking soda? The baking soda added a really funky, bitter taste. Maybe just me but it wasn’t edible. I rinsed the pan after cooking the sausage and started with new butter (instead of oil) for the onions/garlic etc. I added a tablespoon of flour to the onions/garlic after they softened and then proceeded with the rest of the recipe. The cream sauce without the baking soda sausage was very good.

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