One Pot Italian Sausage and Tomato Basil Pasta

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One-Pot Italian Sausage Pasta — An EASY comfort food recipe that’s loaded with Italian flavors, ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE pot, and a family favorite!! No need to boil the pasta separately to save time and dishes!!

overhead view of Italian sausage pasta in a skillet

Italian Sausage Penne Pasta Recipe

I am a huge pan of one-pot recipes, meaning you cook the protein and the pasta in the same pot, and you don’t need to drain any pasta water later. It makes life so much simpler and obviously doing dishes is a breeze with just one pot.

This family-friendly comfort food recipe is ready in 20 minutes and is sure to be a hit with everyone.

The al dente penne pasta with flavorful sausage, juicy tomatoes, the creamy-cheesy factor from the sour cream and Parmesan, along with the fresh basil was a total winner for my daughter. She immediately gave this one-pot recipe a 10 out of 1o.

close up overhead view of sausage penne pasta in a skillet

What’s in Italian Sausage Pasta? 

To make this one-pot sausage pasta recipe, you’ll need: 

  • Italian sausage 
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Oregano 
  • Canned petite diced tomatoes 
  • Water
  • Penne pasta
  • Sour cream
  • Parmesan cheese 
  • Fresh basil 

How to Make Italian Sausage Pasta 

Simply brown Italian sausage, add garlic, a can of diced tomatoes, dry uncooked pasta, water, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the water is all soaked in.

Then add sour cream (for creaminess) and fresh Parmesan cheese (for cheesiness) before stirring in fresh basil. It’s a match made in heaven! 

overhead view of one pot sausage pasta in a skillet

What Type of Italian Sausage Should I Use? 

I used one pound of hot Italian sausage in links so I needed to remove the casings. If you can find one pound of your favorite brand of sausage without casings, it makes things even faster.

The hot Italian sausage adds the perfect pop of spiciness without being too hot or spicy but if you or your family are more sensitive to spicy foods, then I recommend sweet Italian sausage instead.

Whether you make spicy sausage pasta or sweet Italian sausage pasta, this recipe is bound to be a hit! 

One-Pot Italian Sausage Pasta — An EASY comfort food recipe that's loaded with Italian flavors, ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE pot, and a family favorite!! No need to boil the pasta separately to save time and dishes!!

What Type of Pasta Should I Use? 

I used penne, but any small-shaped pasta will work such as rotini, bowtie, small shells, or wheels. I don’t recommend using a long, thin pasta like spaghetti for this recipe. 

One-Pot Italian Sausage Pasta — An EASY comfort food recipe that's loaded with Italian flavors, ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE pot, and a family favorite!! No need to boil the pasta separately to save time and dishes!!

Tips for Making Italian Sausage and Pasta 

Do NOT cook the pasta before adding it to the skillet. It cooks in the same skillet with the tomatoes, sausage and water and soaks up so much more flavor that way. 

Stir the pasta once midway through cooking, paying attention to the pasta on the bottom of the skillet so it doesn’t stick. Don’t stir it too frequently.

You might not need to add any additional salt to the pasta. Remember that the sausage, tomatoes, and Parmesan are already salted. Give the pasta a taste after it’s cooked before seasoning it. 

One-Pot Italian Sausage Pasta — An EASY comfort food recipe that's loaded with Italian flavors, ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE pot, and a family favorite!! No need to boil the pasta separately to save time and dishes!!

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4.50 from 171 votes

One Pot Italian Sausage Pasta

By Averie Sunshine
An EASY comfort food recipe that's loaded with Italian flavors, ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE pot, and a family favorite!! No need to boil the pasta separately to save time and dishes!!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 6
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Ingredients  

  • 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed (I used hot but sweet Italian sausage may be substituted)
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, as desired
  • 3 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
  • 1 teaspoon oregano, optional
  • one 14.5-ounce can petite diced tomatoes, I used Hunt's no-salt added, tomato basil oregano flavor
  • 2 ½ cups water
  • 2 cups penne pasta, another small-shaped pasta may be substituted
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • â…” to ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup loosely packed fresh basil, chiffonaded
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste if desired

Instructions 

  • To a large skillet at least 4-inches deep or large pot, add the sausage, 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil if desired, and brown sausage over medium high heat. Crumble sausage as it cooks; do not drain.
  • Add the garlic, optional oregano, stir, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir nearly constantly.
  • Add the tomatoes, water, pasta, stir, cover the skillet with a lid, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is al dente and the water has incorporated. Stir once midway through cooking, paying attention to the pasta on the bottom of the skillet so it doesn't stick (this is why I recommend olive oil, even with sausage).
  • Turn off the heat, add the sour cream, and stir to combine.
  • Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
  • Add the basil, pepper if desired (I didn't need to add salt), and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes

Storage: Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 476kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 25g, Cholesterol: 56mg, Sodium: 805mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Another 10 out of 10 for this delicious flexible recipe. Used ground pork, elbow pasta, and added one chopped onion and an 8 oz can of tomato sauce (without any reduction to the water). Season to your taste. Perfect! My picky husband and teen loved it. Highly recommend. Thanks Averie!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I am so glad that is actually a 10/10 for you and that you’ve been able to take advantage of using flexible ingredients! And that both your teen and husband enjoyed it!

  2. 5 stars
    This is delicious! I am always looking for tasty weeknight meals that are simple and flavorful. I’ve made lots of sausage/pasta dishes, and this one is a keeper. I made it as written. You can’t go wrong!

  3. 5 stars
    This is delicious! I am always looking for tasty weeknight meals that are simple and flavorful. I’ve made lots of sausage/pasta dishes, and this one is a keeper. I made it as written. You can’t go wrong!

  4. 5 stars
    I have made this recipe numerous times. I have also shared it with my friends who love it. I substitute rotes tomatoes but otherwise make it as directed. Delicious!!!!

  5. 5 stars
    I have made this recipe numerous times. I have also shared it with my friends who love it. I substitute rotes tomatoes but otherwise make it as directed. Delicious!!!!

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad you’ve made this many times and shared it with friends, too!

  6. 5 stars
    This is without a doubt one of the best pastas I have eaten!  I had to let the pasta boil down so it wasn’t runny  and I added onions but other than that it was definitely 5 stars! 

  7. 5 stars
    This is without a doubt one of the best pastas I have eaten!  I had to let the pasta boil down so it wasn’t runny  and I added onions but other than that it was definitely 5 stars! 

  8. I’m unsure why it was so soupy. I put the two and a half cups of water in and simmered which I figured would reduce most of that but it turned into a watery down soup basically :(

    Is there something I missed?

    1. Your pasta probably didn’t absorb the amount of water you used. There is variation among pastas so perhaps yours just didn’t need as much liquid as you added. Normally though it would be relatively “close” and a hard boil with it simmering fast and rapidly should have simmered off whatever excess liquid there was in a matter of 5 mins or so. It’s hard to guess from afar but thanks for trying the recipe.