A One Pot Pasta recipe that's got it all: juicy chunks of Italian sausage, sautéed with onion and garlic, swimming in a luxuriously rich scratch-made tomato sauce. Best of all? No need to dirty up an extra pan!
Short on time but still want something homemade and hearty? Yup, we’ve been there. On busy weeknights, we usually alternate between this One Pot Sausage Pasta and our Tomato Chickpea Pasta (when we want a meatless meal).
Whatcha waiting for? Say addio to kitchen stress and ciao to flavor!
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Ingredients + Substitutions
A few important notes on some of the ingredients used in this One Pot Sausage Pasta:
Italian Sausages: We like to use fresh Italian sausages. Smoked sausages taste pretty amazing too. If using fresh sausage, you’ll want to remove their casing and crumble them into chunks. If using cured sausage, you can just slice them up.
For a vegetarian option, use something like Beyond Sausage or Impossible Sausage—surprisingly hard to tell the difference!
Garlic: Just like our recipes for Butter Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Thai Beef Stew, this pasta recipe uses an entire head of garlic. Trust us, it won’t be too much.
Canned Whole Tomatoes: Canned whole tomatoes are the way to go when making pasta sauce. I don’t know why so many recipes call for diced tomatoes, they simply lack flavour compared to whole tomatoes, and ironically, they don’t break down as easily as whole tomatoes, thanks to an annoying little chemical called calcium chloride.
By the way, canned tomatoes are crucial here. They have a more concentrated flavour compared to fresh tomatoes. This is the key to a flavourful pasta sauce.
Tomato Paste: It’s not the end of the world if you don’t have tomato paste; just omit it. It adds additional savouriness and boosts the tomato flavour.
Pasta: Any dried pasta works! Preferably a short pasta. I like Garofalo casarecce (pictured in the finished photos of the pasta). But Kevin is a De Cecco elbows fan (pictured in the ingredients shot above).
Chicken Stock: You can also use vegetable stock or beef stock. Homemade or a good quality soup base like Better Than Bouillon. Or even water, if you’re in a pinch.
Spinach or Kale: Both spinach and kale are great choices for leafy veg in this recipe. Spinach can be added during the last couple minutes of cooking. If using kale, which is tougher and takes longer to cook, add it to the pot during step 3 (along with the tomatoes).
Parmesan Cheese: Use freshly grated parmigiano reggiano for best results. Other great cheeses to use are grana padano or pecorino romano. The cheese adds umami and salt, so if you’re omitting it, make sure to add more salt and pepper to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
Directions
Step 1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat.
Step 2. Sear the sausages until starting to brown.
Step 3. Add the diced onion, red pepper flakes, and garlic and sauté until onions are soft and shimmering.
Step 4. Add tomato paste, canned tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and chicken stock. Cover and bring to a simmer.
Step 5. Once simmering, remove the lid and add pasta. Turn heat down to low. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked to your liking.
Step 6. Stir in the spinach during the last two minutes of cooking and push it into the sauce so it wilts. Transfer to pasta bowls and top with grated cheese.
Tip: A splatter screen or splatter guard is extremely useful here to prevent the tomato sauce from flying around your kitchen.
Note: The cheese adds umami and salt, so if you’re omitting it, make sure to add more salt and pepper to taste.
Storage Tips
Fridge: Store garlic sausage pasta in the fridge for up to four days. Because pasta continues to absorb water as it sits in the sauce, I recommend undercooking the pasta for a minute or two if you are meal prepping it.
Freeze: Freeze leftover sausage pasta in the fridge for up to four months. It’s best to let the pasta thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Reheating: The easiest method to reheat cooked pasta is in the microwave. (I recommend using a microwave lid to reduce smells and splatter.) You can also reheat in a saucepan on the stove over low heat, just add a splash of water if it’s looking to dry.
More Meaty Garlic Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
What to Serve with Garlic Sausage Pasta
These are some of our favorite sides to serve with One Pot Garlic Sausage Pasta:
... Aaand a few lighter options:
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating or comment below to give me feedback and help out other readers.
Recipe Card
One Pot Garlic Sausage Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 to 4 fresh Italian sausages sliced or crumbled
- ½ yellow onion diced
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 head garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can whole tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 8 ounces dry pasta
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 4 cups chopped spinach or 2 cups chopped kale; see Note 1
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Sear 3 to 4 fresh Italian sausages until starting to brown.
- Add ½ yellow onion, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 head garlic and sauté until onions are soft and shimmering.
- Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 can whole tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 8 ounces dry pasta, and 2 cups chicken stock. Cover and bring to a simmer, then remove the lid and turn the heat down to low. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for around 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked to your liking. (A splatter screen is extremely useful here to prevent the tomato sauce from flying around your kitchen.)
- Stir in 4 cups chopped spinach during the last two minutes of cooking (see Note 1).
- Transfer to pasta bowls and top with ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese. The cheese adds umami and salt, so if you’re omitting it, make sure to add more salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Spinach or Kale: Spinach can be added during the last couple minutes of cooking. If using kale, which is tougher and takes longer to cook, add it to the pot during step 3 (along with the tomatoes).
Nutrition
Food Safety
- If using fresh sausage, cook the sausage chunks to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils and knives on cooked food, that previously touched the raw sausages, without washing them thoroughly.
- Wash your hands with soap after touching raw sausage meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking pasta unattended, especially these one pot pastas because they can quickly bubble over or splatter hot tomato sauce everywhere.
Jacky says
This was delicous!
Kelly Zhang says
That's what we like to hear!