Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 12 oz uncooked pasta
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 handful fresh basil, chopped
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
Get the Pasta Water Going
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta al dente according to package directions.
The key is to time this so the pasta finishes around the same time as your sauce.
Brown the Sausage
Take the sausages out of their casings and crumble the meat into a large skillet.
Sauté over medium-high heat for ~6-8 minutes until it’s nicely browned all over.
You want some good color on the meat – this adds flavor to the whole dish.
Remove Sausage and Build the Base
Transfer the sausage to a paper towel lined plate.
If there’s a lot of fat in the pan, pour off most of it but leave about 1 Tbsp.
Reduce heat to medium, then add the garlic and wine. Let it bubble for ~1 minute until the liquid reduces by half.
The wine will deglaze the pan and pick up all those browned bits.
Make the Cornstarch Slurry
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 Tbsp cold water until smooth.
This prevents lumps when you add it to the sauce later.
Build the Creamy Sauce
Stir in the cream and tomato paste, whisking until the tomato paste is fully incorporated.
Add the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and the cornstarch slurry.
Scrape up any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan – they’re pure flavor.
Finish and Combine
Add the sausage back to the pan and cook for ~3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens to your liking.
Drain the pasta (save a cup of pasta water first) and toss it with the sauce.
If the sauce seems too thick, add a splash of the hot pasta water to loosen it up.
Serve immediately with fresh basil on top and parmesan if you want it.
Marry Me Italian Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 12 oz uncooked pasta
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- 3/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1 handful fresh basil chopped
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Remove sausage from casings and crumble into a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook sausage 6-8 minutes until browned, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
- Pour off excess fat, leaving 1 Tbsp in pan.
- Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and wine, and cook 1 minute until reduced by half.
- Whisk cornstarch with 1 Tbsp cold water in a small bowl until smooth.
- Stir cream and tomato paste into pan, whisking until combined.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch slurry.
- Return sausage to pan and cook 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens.
- Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and toss with sauce.
- Add pasta water if needed to thin sauce.
- Serve topped with fresh basil and parmesan.
