Description
Rustic Tuscan sausage pasta combines hearty Italian flavors with creamy sauce and aromatic herbs. Rich ingredients deliver a comforting meal that will transport you straight to the countryside of Tuscany.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450g) Italian sausage (mild or spicy, casing removed)
- 12 oz (340g) pasta (penne, fettuccine, or rigatoni)
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half for a lighter version)
- ½ cup chicken broth (for extra flavor and silkiness)
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped, oil-packed is best)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 cups fresh spinach (or kale, chopped)
- 1 tbsp olive oil (if needed, for browning sausage)
- 1 tbsp salt (for boiling water)
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
- ½ tsp italian seasoning
- ½ tsp salt (adjust to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- Extra parmesan cheese
- Fresh basil or parsley
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and add pasta, stirring intermittently until achieving an al dente consistency according to package instructions.
- Liquid Preservation: Drain pasta in a colander, reserving a small quantity of starchy cooking water for potential sauce modification, then transfer to a warm serving dish.
- Sausage Rendering: In a spacious skillet, brown italian sausage over medium-high heat, breaking into crumbled pieces until fully cooked and developing a rich caramelized exterior.
- Aromatic Infusion: Introduce minced garlic and diced onions to the sausage, sautéing until fragrant and translucent, releasing their delicate essence throughout the pan.
- Cream Integration: Pour heavy cream into the skillet, incorporating sun-dried tomatoes and fresh spinach, allowing the mixture to simmer and thicken while developing complex flavor profiles.
- Seasoning Enhancement: Sprinkle grated parmesan, crushed red pepper flakes, and dried Italian herbs, stirring to distribute seasonings evenly and create a harmonious taste balance.
- Final Composition: Combine cooked pasta with the creamy sausage mixture, gently folding to ensure comprehensive coating, and adjust consistency using reserved pasta water if needed.
- Garnishing Finale: Finish with additional parmesan and chopped fresh basil, serving immediately to preserve optimal temperature and textural integrity.
Notes
- Choose Al Dente Pasta: Cook pasta just until it offers slight resistance when biting, preventing mushiness and maintaining perfect texture for Tuscan-style dishes.
- Reserve Pasta Water Wisely: Capture a cup of starchy cooking liquid before draining, which helps create silky, clingy sauce and ensures ideal consistency.
- Salt Water Generously: Add enough salt to pasta water to create a seasoned base flavor that penetrates the pasta during cooking, enhancing overall dish taste.
- Warm Serving Dish Trick: Preheat your serving plate with hot water or briefly in the oven to keep pasta warm and prevent sauce from cooling too quickly, maintaining optimal eating temperature.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 25g
- Cholesterol: 90mg