Creamy Pasta with Sausage

5 from 1 vote

For an easy yet elegant dinner, make this Creamy Pasta with Sausage - ready in 20 minutes or less using simple, flavorful ingredients!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy pasta with sausage, creamy sausage pasta, Italian sausage pasta, pasta recipe with sausage

Servings: servings

Calories: 748kcal

See our Beef Temperature Chart for helpful tips on cooking any cut of beef!

Bring a pot of water to boil and begin cooking pasta according to package directions.
16 oz. pasta
While the pasta cooks, add butter to a skillet and allow it to melt over medium heat.
4 Tablespoons butter
Add garlic and cook until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn the garlic!
2 teaspoons garlic
Mix in the Italian sausage and turn the heat up to medium-high. Break the sausage into tiny pieces with a wooden spoon and cook until browned all over.
1 pound Italian sausage
Once browned, add tomato sauce and stir until well-blended.
2 cups tomato sauce
Slowly and gradually add half & half while stirring. Once mixed through, simmer for 5 minutes until well-blended.
1 cup half & half
Drain pasta and add it to the sauce. Mix through to combine.
Add Parmesan cheese and mix well. Stir until fully incorporated, then top with parsley. Enjoy!
1 cup Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, parsley

I recommend salting the pasta water and cooking to al dente (just slightly underdone).
You can use any variety of pasta you like, but I recommend using a type that holds sauce well, like macaroni noodles or a shell pasta such as orecchiette (my favorite).
Diced ham can be used in place of sausage, but should also be browned in the skillet for best flavor before adding other sauce ingredients. Leftover ham is incredible for this.
Make sure to slowly add the half & half while stirring or you may curdle the cream.