Easy Chicken Sausage Pasta Recipe
This quick chicken sausage pasta mixes a silky tomato-cream sauce, spinach, and parmesan for a cozy 30-minute dinner. Big flavor, minimal effort.
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Servings:
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 12 oz penne or similar short pasta
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 12 oz smoked chicken sausage, sliced
- 0.75 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 2.5 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cup crushed tomatoes
- 0.75 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 0.5 cup half-and-half or a splash more to taste
- 1.25 tsp Italian seasoning
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes adjust for heat
- 1.25 tsp kosher salt divided, to taste
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 3 cup baby spinach loosely packed
- 0.75 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
- 0.25 cup chopped fresh basil
- 0.75 cup reserved pasta water use as needed for saucing
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Boil a large pot of salted water. Cook pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve some cooking water and drain.
- Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium-high. Brown the sliced chicken sausage until golden. Transfer to a plate.
- Soften onion and bell pepper in the same skillet, scraping up browned bits. Stir in garlic and tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes and chicken broth. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Stir in half-and-half, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Warm through.
- Fold in spinach to wilt. Return sausage to the pan and toss to coat.
- Add drained pasta. Splash in reserved pasta water and toss until glossy and saucy.
- Turn off heat. Stir in Parmesan and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve hot.
Notes
Variation: Swap spinach for chopped kale or add sautéed mushrooms. Prefer it lighter? Skip the half-and-half and use extra broth. For extra richness, finish with a pat of butter.
Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days. Reheat gently with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce.
This recipe is an original creation inspired by classic Easy Chicken Sausage Pasta Recipe flavors. All ingredient ratios and instructions are independently developed.