This amazing one pot sausage pasta is the perfect fast dinner recipe. Delicious sausage combines in a creamy sauce with pasta and veggies. Your family will love this dinner win.
One pot pasta recipes are some of my favorites. I love being able to make a full dinner recipe in just one pot, and typically they come together in 35 minutes or less. These recipes are perfect for busy, hungry families.
This sausage pasta recipe is the perfect one pot pasta. I love that it has a simple but delicious sauce and is full of veggies. It is easy to make and a great recipe to fall back on when you just aren’t sure what to whip up for the family.
How to Make Sausage Pasta
Here is a brief overview of how this sausage and pasta recipe comes together. For the full recipe including all measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Sauté the sausage. Add the sliced sausages and cook until browned on both sides, about four to five minutes. Remove it from the pan and set aside.
- Cook the vegetables. Add the red pepper, onion, and garlic to the pan you cooked the sausage. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about five minutes.
- Make a roux. Whisk flour into the veggies until no white streaks remain. Slowly add the wine, adding more when it is absorbed. Read more on this below.
- Add the chicken stock and noodles. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 14 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and spinach, allowing the spinach to wilt. Add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Put it all together. Return the sausage to the pan followed by the tomatoes. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley and enjoy!
Using Chicken Sausage
I love using chicken sausage in recipes because you can typically find them in so many different flavors and they come pre-cooked. Because they are pre-cooked you can do fun things, such as sautéing them, like we are doing in this recipe.
In this recipe, I used my store’s brand in the flavor of roasted garlic and it was perfection. I also love using Amy Lou chicken sausage. They come in a number of different flavors and they are all delicious.
Cooking With Wine
White wine is used in this pasta dish to add depth and flavor to the creamy sauce. Be sure to use a wine that is for drinking and avoid a bottle labeled “cooking wine.” Keep in mind that the flavor of the wine is enhanced when cooking, so choose one that you would enjoy drinking.
A Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay are my recommendations for this recipe, as they aren’t too sweet. A convenient way to keep wine on hand for cooking if you don’t want to open a whole bottle is to keep a four pack of small bottles in your pantry.
If you are cooking for someone who can’t have alcohol or you prefer to skip the wine, you can replace the 1/2 cup of white with another 1/2 cup of chicken broth.
Make a Roux
We get the creamy sauce in this chicken sausage pasta recipe by making a roux and adding heavy cream. A roux is the combination of a fat (butter in this case) and flour. The fat binds to the flour which helps to create a smooth and creamy sauce or soup and prevent separation. While making a roux for any recipe isn’t hard, a few things are important:
- Fully whisk in the flour. Make sure the veggies are coated and no white streaks remain. This prevents the dish from tasting like flour.
- Add the liquid slowly. When adding the wine, add just a few tablespoons at a time and allow it to fully absorb before you add more. This step only takes a minute or two, but you don’t want to rush it.
Tips and Substitutions
- Use a different pasta. While sausage and rigatoni pasta pair perfectly, you could alternatively use penne pasta.
- Swap the spinach. This pasta would be delicious with kale if you prefer that to spinach. You may want to consider adding it in step two so that it has plenty of time to soften.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. I always recommend grating cheese from a block when a recipe calls for shredded cheese. It will melt and taste so much better than pre-shredded cheese.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Store any leftover pasta with sausage in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat the portion you plan to eat in a small skillet or the microwave until heated through. If it seems dry, add a splash of chicken broth or milk. Always use your best discretion with leftovers.
What to Serve with Pasta and Sausage
Here are some ways to round out this hearty meal of sausage with spinach and pasta!
Other Great One Pot Pasta Recipes
If you try this creamy sausage pasta recipe or any of my other recipes, let me know what you think by leaving a comment. I love hearing from you!
One Pot Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 ounces chicken sausage sliced into 1/2 inch rounds (340 grams)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28.25 grams)
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- dash black pepper
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup white wine (118.3 ml)
- 3 cups chicken broth (709.8 ml or 680.25 grams)
- 1/2 pound rigatoni pasta uncooked (226.8 grams)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (59.1 ml)
- 3 cups spinach packed (90 grams)
- 1 roma tomato diced
- fresh parsley to garnish
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced sausages and cook until browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil, 12 ounces chicken sausage
- Add butter to the pan you cooked the sausage in. Add the red pepper, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes.2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 red pepper, 1 small yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, dash black pepper
- Whisk in the flour until the veggies are fully coated and no white streaks are left. Slowly stir in the wine, a few tablespoons at a time, and scrape up the browned bits as you go, adding more once what you have added has been absorbed. Go slowly, but no need to spend more than a minute on this.2 tablespoons all purpose flour, 1/2 cup white wine
- Add the chicken stock and noodles and cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and cook for 14 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and spinach, allowing the spinach to wilt. Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed. I typically add about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and another dash of black pepper here. Return the sausage to the pan.3 cups chicken broth, 1/2 pound rigatoni pasta, 1/4 cup heavy cream, 3 cups spinach
- Remove the pan from the heat and add tomatoes. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped parsley.1 roma tomato, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese
Lorraine Parente says
Where does the 1/4 cup heavy cream fit into this recipe?
Gah! Thank you for pointing that out!
Katherine says
Love one-pot meals! Makes things so easy. Pinned!
Rachel says
YUM~I LOVE one-pot dishes…and hear you…pretty much every day I get home too late to make dinner. But. I can do a one-pot dish at least once week ;) Adding this one to the rotation!
The fact that moms (especially moms who are amazing social workers) who work out of the house can feed their families at all is a small miracle in my eyes.
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy says
One pot dishes are the BEST!
For real!
Lindsey Johnson | Cafe Johnsonia says
Chicken sausage ftw!!! One pot pastas are my fam’s favorite dinner. Can’t wait to give those sausages a try!
I hope you love them Lindsey!
Naomi says
Story of my life! The kids are son busy with sports dinner is almost an afterthought! So I love fast and easy meals like this to make dinner possible!
Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness says
Sausage, pasta and one pot? Sign me up for dinner ALL week long!
Thanks Taylor!
Marie Czarnecki says
I like one pot meals, and this one looks delicious..
Thank you Marie!
Julianne says
HA! 80% of them are yours! I must admit that since Dell has been making dinner it takes a huge burden off me. He loves to try new recipes and we love these types of pasta dishes. Can’t wait to try them!
Lolol! They are! I hope you guys love this one!
Liz @ The Lemon Bowl says
This looks like the perfect easy one pot meal!