Creamy pasta with Italian sausage, this rustic and comforting peasant pasta is made with simple ingredients for an easy weeknight dinner.
My love for one-pot meals has no end. I used to make this peasant pasta dish, from Rachael Ray, all the time. I haven't made it in awhile, and for some reason I started craving it. It's loaded with Italian sausage, Meathead's fave, and it's a little creamy, but not overly so and gloppy. Creamy Italian Sausage Peasant Pasta is a really good cucina povera dish that basically uses simple ingredients you have on hand.
I used ziti pasta because that's what I had, use penne or another short tubular pasta, whatever you have in the pantry. My favorite part ~ the Italian sausage. It's much easier to use bulk, breaking it up while it browns. But you can easily buy the links and remove the sausage from the casings. And use both sweet and hot sausage. I really like more spicy than sweet. Heck, you could probably even use turkey sausage if you wanted (not me!).
Some tomatoes, a little cream, peas and lots of fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese, that's it ~ practically all in one skillet. And believe it or not, we're talking under 30 minutes, start to finish. But, I like to let the sauce simmer a bit before I finish it off with cream. It's just how I roll, I like to cook off some of that canned tomato taste, if you know what I mean.
This is a great dish for the family during the week. Or for two, like us ~ lots of leftovers to take for lunch the next day. Creamy Italian Sausage Peasant Pasta ~ simple and comforting, I think you'll really like this. Best, Kelly ??
HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my Newsletter and come hang out with me on INSTAGRAM, or give me a follow on FACEBOOK or see what I’m pinning on PINTEREST.
Creamy Italian Sausage Peasant Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, bulk or removed from links
- ½ lb hot Italian sausage, bulk or removed from links
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Pinch crushed red pepper
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup green peas, frozen
- 24 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced (chiffonade)
- Freshly grated Parmiggiano-Reggiano, for serving
- 1 lb ziti or penne pasta
Instructions
- Bring large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta, and cook pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil until shimmering and then add Italian sausage. Brown sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. When almost fully browned, add garlic and a pinch crushed red pepper and cook for another minute or two.
- Add chicken stock and deglaze the pan, stirring up any browned bits from the bottom. Stir in crushed tomatoes and bring up to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes or so.
- Stir in cream and season with salt and pepper. Add the peas and basil, stir to combine and heat through, a few minutes. Toss hot, drained pasta into pan with sauce and then transfer to serving bowl. Top with plenty of Parm. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
*Adapted from Rachael Ray, Food Network, 2006
Rosalind Heid
Thursday 24th of August 2017
Misleading title! I thought you found a way to make this all in ONE pot! :-( Since I LOVE Rachel's dish, was hoping it could be done in one pot! But even with 2, it's well worth the effort!