Description
This Tuscan Sausage Pasta is a creamy, flavorful Italian-inspired dish featuring browned Italian sausage, a rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce, and fresh spinach and basil. Perfectly cooked fettuccine is tossed in the velvety sauce and topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese for a comforting and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine pasta
Sausage & Protein
- 11 ounces Italian sausages (casings removed and crumbled)
Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (julienned, packed in oil, drained)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Greens & Herbs
- 1.5 cups loosely packed fresh baby spinach
- Small handful fresh basil, torn or chopped
Seasoning & Garnish
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water and cook the fettuccine until al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Brown Sausage: While pasta cooks, remove the Italian sausages from their casings and crumble the meat. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté the sausage for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned on the outside.
- Remove Sausage and Prepare Pan: Remove the cooked sausage from the skillet and set aside. Discard most of the rendered fat, leaving a small amount for flavor.
- Make Sauce Base: Add minced garlic, chicken broth or dry white wine, Dijon mustard, flour, and lemon juice to the skillet. Stir well to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let the mixture bubble gently for 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly and develop flavor.
- Add Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Cream: Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes and heavy cream. Allow the sauce to cook for about 2-3 minutes, until it starts thickening.
- Reintroduce Sausage: Return the browned sausage to the skillet, stirring to incorporate. Cook for another few minutes until the sauce has thickened to a creamy consistency.
- Add Greens and Herbs: Stir in the torn basil and fresh baby spinach. Cook for about 1 minute or until the spinach has wilted into the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce and Serve: Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss well to coat it evenly in the sauce. Serve immediately with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- Use julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil; drain off the oil before adding to the pan for best flavor.
- The recipe uses roughly 3 sausages from a 5-pack of Johnsonville mild Italian sausages, but any Italian sausage around the same weight will work.
- For a lighter option, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream, though the sauce won’t be as rich.
- Leftover sauce can be refrigerated and gently reheated; stir in a splash of broth or cream if it thickens too much.
- Fresh basil adds a bright note, but you can substitute with dried basil if fresh is unavailable—use about 1 teaspoon dried.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 630
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 38g
- Saturated Fat: 16g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 43g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
