Creamy Tomato Pasta in a rich, velvety tomato sauce with Italian sausage. This simple recipe uses everyday ingredients and is ready in about 20 minutes—perfect for a quick, satisfying weeknight meal.
There’s something comforting about a generous bowl of pasta, and this creamy tomato sausage pasta delivers on flavor and speed. The sauce combines Italian sausages, garlic and a splash of white wine, finished with mascarpone for a rich, silky texture.
Key tip: use good-quality tomatoes or passata — it really elevates the sauce.
Scroll down for the full recipe, photo steps, ingredient notes, tips, variations and a short video. The printable recipe is at the bottom of the page.
Ingredients
Below are the ingredients used in this recipe with notes and substitutions.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Pasta – any short dried pasta works well: fusilli bucati corti, penne or rigatoni.
- Italian sausage – fennel sausages add great flavour, but regular Italian sausages are fine.
- Tomato passata – called tomato puree or strained tomatoes in some countries. Use a good-quality brand for best taste; canned crushed tomatoes can be used if you don’t have passata.
- Mascarpone – gives a creamy finish. Substitute heavy cream if preferred.
- Garlic – use fresh garlic for the best aroma and flavour.
- White wine – Pinot Grigio, Vermentino or similar dry white wine are ideal. Omit if avoiding alcohol.
Step by step photos and instructions
Preparation tips!
- Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil and salt it well.
- Don’t add the pasta immediately — start the pasta when the sauce is simmering so both finish at the same time.
Brown the sausages – remove sausages from their casings and crumble into a hot pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Brown well, then add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and reduce by half.
Add the passata – stir in the tomato passata and let it simmer 3–5 minutes. Then add the mascarpone and stir until it melts into the sauce.
Cook the pasta – add pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (check packet times). Keep the sauce simmering while the pasta cooks.
Finish – when pasta is ready, reserve about ½ cup (120ml) pasta water, then drain. Add the pasta to the sauce (or return the sauce to the drained pasta) and toss with 1–2 tablespoons reserved pasta water to loosen if needed. Stir in grated Parmigiano Reggiano until the sauce coats the pasta evenly.
Serve – dish into bowls and top with extra Parmigiano as desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Reserve pasta water – starchy pasta water helps emulsify the sauce and adds silkiness when tossed with cheese.
- Choosing a pasta shape – this sauce pairs well with most short pastas: fusilli, rigatoni or penne all work nicely.
- Make it spicy – use spicy Italian sausages or add dried chilli flakes or fresh red chilli with the garlic. If spicy, you may prefer adding slightly more mascarpone or cream to balance heat.
- Add spinach – stir in 1–2 handfuls of baby spinach just before adding the pasta for extra greens.
- No passata? canned crushed tomatoes are a good substitute; choose a quality brand.
Recipe FAQs
Yes — make the sauce ahead and reheat while you cook the pasta.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Yes — omit the sausage for a meat-free version. The creamy tomato sauce is delicious on its own.
More easy pasta recipes to try
Pasta
Shrimp Spaghetti with ‘Nduja and Lemon
Pasta
Tortellini alla Panna
Pasta
Bucatini all’Amatriciana
Pasta
Penne alla Vodka – Pasta with Tomato Vodka Sauce
If you try this Creamy Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage please rate the recipe and share how it turned out in the comments — I love hearing from readers!
Step By Step Photos Above
Most recipes include step-by-step photos, tips and sometimes a short video.
Creamy Tomato Pasta with Italian Sausage
By Emily
Ingredients
- 14 oz (400g) short dried pasta, such as fusilli bucati corti, penne or rigatoni
- 3 large Italian fennel sausages (or regular Italian sausages), about 240g
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 clove garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 2 1/4 cups (500g) tomato passata (tomato puree)
- 2 heaped tablespoons mascarpone
- 1/4 cup (60ml) white wine (Pinot Grigio or Vermentino)
- 1/3 cup (20g) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan. Remove sausages from casings, add to the pan and break into small pieces. Cook until browned.
- Add garlic and oregano and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half. Stir in the tomato passata.
- Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes, then add the mascarpone and stir until melted. Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente (about 8 minutes, depending on pasta). Keep the sauce simmering while the pasta cooks.
- Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta, reserving about ½ cup (120ml) of pasta water.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce with 1–2 tablespoons reserved pasta water (more if needed). Turn off the heat and toss to coat. Stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Serve in bowls and top with extra Parmigiano if desired.
Video
Notes
- No passata? Use canned crushed tomatoes of good quality as a substitute.
- Reserve pasta water: it helps emulsify the sauce and add creaminess.
- Spicy option: swap in spicy sausages or add chilli flakes or fresh chilli with the garlic. Balance heat with extra mascarpone or cream if needed.
- Storage: leftovers keep for up to 2 days in the fridge. Reheat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
Helpful Info for All Recipes
- I typically use extra virgin olive oil unless stated otherwise.
- For canned tomatoes I prefer Cirio or Mutti for reliable flavour.
- All vegetables listed are medium-sized unless noted.
- Nutrition is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 87 g |
Protein: 26 g |
Fat: 29 g
Nutrition information is an estimate.
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