This Italian sausage pasta recipe comes together all in one pot in less than 30 minutes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that your family will love! It's got a creamy alfredo-like pan sauce that coats every nook and cranny of the pasta along with tender kale and Italian sausage!
You Will Love This
- For all the delicious flavors this one-pot Italian sausage pasta recipe brings to the table, it is remarkably quick and easy. Dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes, and it all cooks together in one pot (which makes clean-up quick and easy too). It’s simple enough for a weekday meal, and—paired with a fresh salad or veggie—fancy enough for a Sunday dinner.
- Looking for more easy Italian inspiration? Try my Garlic Parmesan pasta, No-Boil Baked Manicotti, or this Lazy Ravioli Lasagna!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Dried Oregano - Oregano is pretty standard for Italian pasta dishes, but you can substitute an Italian seasoning blend, dried thyme, or dried basil in a pinch.
- Mild Italian Sausage - Kick it up a notch with some spicy sausage if you like a little heat! Or add a pinch or two of red pepper flakes!
- Chopped Kale - Any type of kale works great in this pasta. You could also use fresh spinach in its place, but wait to add it until the end as it breaks down much more easily than the kale.
- Half and Half - Half and half is just one part milk to one part cream so if you don't have any on hand, you can combine equal parts milk and heavy cream for an easy substitute.
- Broth - The broth is the cooking liquid in this recipe and replaces boiling the noodles in water. Broth allows you to cook the noodles with half and half and Parmesan to create a simple sauce that combines with the starch from the pasta to make an absolutely dreamy garlic cream sauce. You can use veggie broth or chicken broth.
- Pasta - I like to use penne for this Italian sausage pasta, but whatever pasta you have on hand, or whatever pasta you prefer, will work just fine.
- Parmesan - Parmesan is one of the key flavor components in this sausage kale pasta recipe. Grate your own wedge for the best flavor!
- White Wine Vinegar - White wine vinegar’s combination of tang and very light sweetness is perfect for a savory pasta. It cuts through the richness of the sauce and amplifies the other flavors of the dish.
Instructions
Sauté garlic and oregano and add sausage.
Cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through.
Add kale, veggie broth, half and half, and uncooked penne along with another pinch of salt and pepper.
Stir to combine and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until pasta is al dente.
Add Parmesan cheese.
Stir until melted. Add vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Garnish with Parmesan, parsley, and red pepper flakes, and enjoy!
Tips
- Get a wedge of Parmesan and grate it at home for a fresh flavor and a smooth melt. Pre-shredded Parmesan loses its punch and doesn’t melt as well as fresh. I like to just pop part of the wedge in my food processor and pulse - 1 minute later you've got freshly grated Parm!
- Remember to slice or tear the kale away from the center stalk before chopping. You don’t want that thick stalk in your dish.
FAQ
Searing the sausage before adding it to sauce is a great way to seal in the flavor and make sure the meat is thoroughly cooked through!
The best way to get tender Italian sausage - like in this sausage pasta recipe - is to give it a quick sear and then simmer it in the sauce for a bit. Simmering the sausage along with the pasta makes it mouth-wateringly tender!
This one-pot Italian sausage pasta is the best Italian pasta recipe! Italian sausage, seasoning, veggies, and cheese come together in a truly delicious dish. Better yet: it comes together in one pot, in less than 30 minutes!
More Favorite Pastas
- Creamy Balsamic BLT Pasta Salad
- One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta
- 20 Minute Bruschetta Pasta
- Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
- 15 Minute Creamy Greek Pasta
Recipe
One Pot Italian Sausage Pasta
This one pot Italian sausage pasta comes together all in one pot in less than 30 minutes for a quick and easy weeknight dinner that your family will love! It's got a creamy alfredo-like pan sauce that coats every nook and cranny of the pasta along with tender kale and Italian sausage!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6-8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 lb. mild Italian sausage
- 3-4 cups chopped kale
- 16 oz. half and half
- 32 oz. chicken broth
- 16 oz. uncooked penne pasta
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Garnish
- parsley
- Parmesan
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add garlic and oregano along with a couple larges pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently for about a minute.
- Add sausage, and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through.
- Add kale, broth, half and half, and uncooked penne along with another pinch of salt and pepper.
- Stir to combine, turn heat to medium-high. Bring to a simmer.
- Reduce heat and gently simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until pasta is al dente. Stir every couple of minutes so the pasta cooks evenly and doesn't stick together.
- Add Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Add vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Garnish with Parmesan, parsley, and red pepper flakes, and enjoy!
Notes
Get a wedge of Parmesan and grate it at home for a fresh flavor and smooth melt. Pre-shredded Parmesan loses its punch and doesn’t melt as well as fresh. I like to just pop part of the wedge in my food processor - 1 minute later you've got freshly grated Parm!
Remember to slice or tear the kale away from the center stalk before chopping. You don’t want that thick stalk in your dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 510
- Sugar: 5.1 g
- Sodium: 1066.2 mg
- Fat: 24.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.1 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 21.9 g
- Cholesterol: 55.2 mg
Keywords: one pot pasta, weeknight dinner, summer meal
Jody
This was delicious. I used Spinach rather than Kale and stirred it in to the dish at the very end. I omitted the vinegar. It was a hit with the family. Will definitely make this again.
★★★★★
Jane
Can you improve the photo? It does not encourage me to even attempt this recipe even though it has nutritious ingredients.
Kylie
Maybe you can send me a pic of the dish after YOU make it and I'll upload that to the site 😉 Sometimes food isn't beautiful - it's just delicious! Thanks for taking the time to leave such an uplifting comment on this recipe!
Laura C
Followed to the t and came out great. Used bagged baby spinach instead of kale and sadly HAD to use shredded cheese - the last of my wedge was not enough. Will put in rotation. THX!
PS, picture looks yummy to me.
★★★★★
Kylie
I'm so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Laura! And the photos 😉 Thanks for leaving a review - I really appreciate it!
Ashley
I’m wondering how this will turn out with ground lamb. I LOVE making this pasta already so much, but all I’ve got right now is ground lamb so fingers crossed!
Kylie
I think lamb will work great! What a delicious substitute for sausage!
Caitlin
Excellent! The only thing differently I did was cook the pasta separately - per the husband’s request. We use our own homemade venison hot Italian sausage, but I still used the red pepper flakes. Delicious! I’m adding this to my recipe box.
★★★★★
Susan
I love that I can cook these sausage pasta all in one pot. Perfect for a busy weeknight.
★★★★★