Description
Italian Sausage Creamy Pasta delivers rich comfort with hearty flavors from traditional regional ingredients. Simmered sausage, robust herbs, and silky cream sauce combine perfectly for you to savor each delicious forkful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (0.45 kg) ground Italian sausage
- 12 oz (340 g) penne or fusilli pasta
- ½ cup (50 g) grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup (37 g) shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup (120 ml) half and half or heavy cream
- 1 (14.5 oz/411 g) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ cup (120 ml) chicken broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsps tomato paste
- ¾ tsp dried oregano
- ¾ tsp dried basil
- ¾ tsp dried parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Boil water with abundant salt, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve quarter cup of starchy cooking liquid before draining completely.
- Sausage Browning: Sauté Italian sausage in olive oil over medium heat, methodically crumbling until fully cooked. Transfer to a separate plate using a slotted spoon.
- Aromatic Base: In the same skillet, caramelize onions until translucent. Add garlic and tomato paste, stirring to prevent scorching and develop deep flavor profiles.
- Liquid Integration: Deglaze pan with chicken broth, scraping caramelized bits from skillet bottom. Reduce liquid to concentrate essential flavors.
- Sauce Development: Incorporate diced tomatoes and dried herbs (oregano, basil, parsley). Season with salt and pepper, then simmer until sauce thickens and intensifies.
- Cream Infusion: Blend half and half or heavy cream into sauce, creating a silky consistency. Adjust using reserved pasta water for optimal texture.
- Final Assembly: Reunite sausage with sauce, fold in prepared pasta. Ensure comprehensive coating with creamy, herb-enhanced mixture.
- Cheese Melting: Sprinkle Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, allowing them to melt and create a decadent, stretchy coating that embraces entire dish.
- Serving Suggestion: Plate immediately alongside crusty garlic bread and crisp salad for a complete, satisfying culinary experience.
Notes
- Pasta Water Magic: Reserve starchy cooking liquid to help sauce cling perfectly to pasta and adjust consistency smoothly.
- Sausage Searing Technique: Completely break down meat while cooking to ensure even flavor distribution and prevent large clumps.
- Herb Enhancement Trick: Toast dried herbs briefly in hot pan before adding liquids to intensify their aromatic compounds and deepen overall flavor profile.
- Cheese Melting Strategy: Add cheese off direct heat and fold gently to prevent breaking or becoming grainy, creating creamy, silky texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 615
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 18 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg