Regular readers will know I love my comfort food! Pasta dishes come high up on that list for me, and Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta perhaps highest of all. Only mac and cheese is a possible other contender for first place. Carby pasta and fatty cream are of course not the healthiest of ingredients, especially in combination. So I had a think about how to reduce that calorie load a bit and add some fiber for a more balanced approach – equally delicious as the classic. Keep reading to find out!
What Is a Classic Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta?
First of all, you’re going to get a shock. This dish doesn’t actually come from Tuscany. That’s right – despite the name, this recipe is a classic of Italian-American cuisine. There are plenty of classic Italian ingredients in it, but creamy Tuscan sausage pasta was invented in the USA. However, the good news is that Italians enjoy it as well, even if they’re not prepared to claim it as one of their own. I’ve served this dish to four separate Italian people, two of whom come from Tuscany, and it got the thumbs up from all of them.
What Are the Ingredients?
Other than the obvious – cream, sausage, pasta – the only other ingredients that are strictly required for creamy Tuscan sausage pasta are sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan and spinach. You can go a little off-piste with the rest, if you want to, and that’s exactly what I’ve done.
I mentioned earlier that there was a secret healthy ingredient for this recipe and you’re probably wondering what it is. The answer is the beans. By using less pasta and making up the volume with cooked white beans, you’re increasing the fiber content quite considerably. They’re also frequently used in Tuscan cuisine, which makes the dish feel more authentic as well.
Try and find a good, garlicky Italian sausage for this dish. Even better if it contains fennel seeds. If you only manage to find plain sausage meat, you can still make it, but I would recommend adding extra garlic. Fennel seeds are an optional addition as well.
I used creme fraiche because I think the flavour is a little more complex than regular cream. You can also use sour cream if you like, or even just heavy cream is also fine.
Look for sun-dried tomatoes in oil. They are preferable to the ones that need to be rehydrated. Not only are they more flavorful, you can use them straight out of the jar.
How to Make Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
One of the reasons I love the dish is that you make the pasta sauce in a single pot, just adding the ingredients in different steps. You start off by frying the sausage meat, getting it to render all that delicious fat and crisping up and browning on the outside. Then add the garlic and beans, followed by the condiments.
The last step for the sauce is to add the spinach and cream. If you’re not used to cooking with fresh spinach, this is going to seem like an excessive amount when you add it to the pan. But won’t worry! It wilts right down very quickly and reduces in volume.
The whole process is incredibly simple. It’s also quick. One of my rules of thumb for whether or not a pasta dish counts as “quick” is if I can make the sauce in the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta. And the answer for this is a resounding YES. Start off by putting a pan of water on the heat. You can prepare all the ingredients while it’s coming to a boil. Then while the pasta is cooking (usually 8-12 minutes, depending on what shape you choose) you have time to make and completely finish the sauce.
Storage Notes
If you want to make any part of this recipe in advance, you can prepare the sauce up to step 4. I wouldn’t usually bother, because as I said, you can make the whole thing while the pasta is cooking. But it’s fine to do that part earlier in the day if you prefer, and keep it refrigerated until ready to finish off.
Like most pasta dishes, this is at its best when eaten fresh immediately after making it. But if you have leftovers, you can certainly keep them. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave, until piping hot.
Looking for More Comfort Food Pasta?
I’ve got you! Check out one of these for more delicious pasta to warm you up on a cold day:
- One-Pan Creamy Pasta Bolognese
- Creamy Chicken Prosciutto and Asparagus Pasta
- Creamy Cashew Pasta Sauce
- Creamy Romesco Pasta
- Lobster Pasta (on a budget)
Conclusion
If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably got a roster of delicious pasta dishes that you cycle through when looking for quick and easy comfort food to please everyone. It’s well worth adding Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta to that list. And with the addition of the beans, you can also feel more reassured that it’s a healthier choice. Get cooking, and let me know in the comments how it turns out for you!
Ingredients
- 8 oz dried pasta
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 7 oz Italian sausage meat crumbled
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and sliced
- 7 oz white beans cooked
- 3 tbsp dry white wine
- 1 tsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 oz sun dried tomatoes in oil sliced
- 1/4 cup creme fraiche
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tbsp parmesan freshly grated
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the sausage meat and fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Add the garlic, fennel seeds, and the white beans and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the white wine, vinegar, mustard, and sun dried tomatoes. Cook for about 2 minutes until the alcohol has burned off.
- Add the creme fraiche and spinach. Cook until the spinach has completely wilted.
- Stir in the cooked pasta. Add a splash of the pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce if necessary. Season to taste with salt and lots of black pepper.
- Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the pasta and serve.
1 Comment
Mimi Rippee
March 13, 2025 at 9:56 pmDelicious! Italian sausage is the best!