A quick, super tasty Sausage pasta made using chopped up Italian sausages that end up looking like mini meatballs, tossed in a tomato pasta sauce. Makes for a quick dinner that’s so tasty, you’ll be making this one again!
And it’s time to choose the next FREE eCookbook!!!
Sausage Pasta
It’s the last Monday of August which means another Monday Meatball Mania* here! I hadn’t planned for this Sausage Pasta to be my meatball recipe for this month….but when I noticed that chopped up sausages end up looking just like mini meatballs, I couldn’t resist. 😉
I mean, what a way to make “meatballs”, right? Just chop up sausages! They might get smeary and messy when you chop them – mine did – but once they’re in the skillet, they firm up and transform into balls.
* Monday Meatball Mania is a “thing” my friend Jo from Jo Cooks and I started at the beginning of 2017 where we each publish a meatball recipe on the last Monday of every month. Why do we do this? a) For our own entertainment; and b) Because we both love ball shaped foods and think there should be more of them in this world.
The sausages are the flavour base of the sauce for this Sausage Pasta, so please don’t get the basic best value sausages from the supermarket! Believe me, I am not a sausage snob. I have been known to hunt down fund raiser sausage sizzles on weekends (it’s for charity I tell myself).
But there is a time and place for different types of sausages and in this particular recipe, it’s important to get a good – or at least decent – sausage. Here’s my tip for good vs cheap sausages not suitable for this recipe: cheap sausages are a uniform pink colour, because the meat has been whizzed up with fillers. Good sausages are will not be a uniform colour – you will see specks of fat and sometimes seasonings.
Nowadays, supermarkets sell really great sausages that are pure meat, no (or very minimal) fillers. My favourite are Italian sausages because I like the flavour, but you can use any good sausages you want.
This Sausage Pasta is a really great quick meal. Get the pasta water boiling, and meanwhile start the sauce. Pop the pasta in the water and while the pasta is cooking, the sauce will simmer away. If you can handle that multi tasking, you’ll get this dinner on the table in just over 15 minutes. You’ve GOT THIS! – Nagi xx
I love a good sausage recipe!
Sausages are a great shortcut way to a quick tasty meal because they’re loaded with extra flavour. Think beyond just cooking them whole – squeeze the meat out and cook it like mince meat!
Bangers and Mash – Sausage with Onion Gravy
Sausage Bake with Potatoes and Gravy – a one pan recipe
Beef and Sausage Ragu – an incredible luxurious pasta sauce
VOTE FOR THE NEXT FREE E-COOKBOOK!
I have 2 free e-cookbooks that I give away to readers who have joined my free email list as a thank you. It’s been 2 years since I made one, so I’ve decided it’s time to make another one – and you get to choose the theme!
UPDATE: Voting now closed, results are in! The next free cookbook is Asian Takeout at Home. To get the free e-cookbook, just join my free absolutely no strings attached email list – see bottom of the post or on the sidebar!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 250 g / 0.5 lb spiral pasta (Note 1)
- 500 g / 1 lb good Italian sausages , or other quality sausages of choice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 800 g / 28 oz crushed tomato (or tomato passata)
- 1 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 – 2 big handfuls baby spinach (optional)
Garnish:
- Basil leaves , finely sliced
- Parmesan
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Cook pasta per packet directions MINUS 1 -2 minutes.
- Just before you drain, RESERVE 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Then drain pasta.
- Use a sharp knife to cut sausages into chunks about 1.5cm/3/5″. It will get a bit smeary and the chunks will be weird shapes – don’t worry, it self fixes while cooking!
- Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add sausages and cook until quite browned on the outside, doesn’t have to be cooked through inside.
- Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent and sausages are very browned.
- Add tomato, chilli flakes, pinch of salt and pepper. Mix and turn heat down to medium. Lets it bubble away energetically for 8 minutes or until it is quite thickened, stirring every now and then.
- Add baby spinach (if using), pasta, and about 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Toss quickly, no longer than 1 minute (otherwise the pasta may start to break).
- Remove from stove, and serve immediately, garnished with plenty of basil and parmesan. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Sausage Pasta recipe video!
LIFE OF DOZER
Gazing hopefully at my food prep trolley loaded with food…
Sausage and pasta- two things I just can’t walk away from. Especially when they’re together… then it’s like they’re calling my name. I’m in love!
I know, right? 😂
I love pasta, and this looks delicious. I will make it for my 1/2 Italian husband, who always thinks he know best when it comes to pasta! Let’s see if we can fool him!!
I just love the look on Dozers face. Bless him, he isn’t even drooling. Just waiting patiently for his human to give him a taste.
OOOH I hope hubby approves!!! 🙂 N xx
Nagi,
My wife has been doing this for a number of years. We do a lot of touring camping through the outback and this is a staple. She also uses cevapi (skinless sausages). She cook the snags first while the pasta is cooking , cuts the to bite size and then combines the tomatoes etc. in the fry pan with the pasta going in last. Yum
I love that! Where in the outback do you go?? 🙂 N xx
Nagi,
Anywhere but Sydney 😁
Deb and I like to tour. Our last trip was Birdsville Track onto Lawn Hill NP to Kurumba on the Gulf and back to Geelong via Burke in 3 weeks. I note that about half of the meal recipes orginated from a website of some sheila in Sydney. We have found your recipe ideas work really well in our camper and fit well in the limited ingredient selection that is available in the more remote parts.
Have you considered doing a seies using “tinned muck”?
Bart
Tinned…..muck???!! 🤔
When you are 100’s of k’s away from fresh food and have to rely on tinned and dried food. The “tinned muck” is a reference an old old tv ad. I received my first old fart letter last week and so my memories go back decades. My humour can be a bit obscure at times.
How about a Your (meaning you👍) Favourite Recipes if the choices voted become too close to choose😆
That’s a PLAN! 👍🏻 N xx
Well Nagi, another simple yet delicious recipe for me to make for the family. You are as amazing as
your recipes.Really enjoy seeing the photos of Dozer, reminds me of our dog Zac when we are cooking
the BBQ xxxx
Ohhh I love hearing that Coral! N xx
Hi Nagi,
I love simple, quick, and appetizing recipes. This one fits the bill perfectly,
Cheers.
Henry
Hope you try and LOVE it Henry! 🙂 N xx
Thank you Nagi! Dozer is as big as table, gorges! Keep warm and be Happy. Love your Mums receipts. Have good week.
He IS as big as my shooting table…😂 N xx
new cookbook
Its Chilli Lilly
love to see all your spicy recipes in 1 place
LOVE THAT! Might have to make a recipe collection you can browse 🙂 N xx
Yum! This pasta/sausage dish looks delicious. I wanted to vote for all of the e-books, but finally settled on one. Any of them would be great.
Awwww…..sweet Dozer is waiting patiently for a bite!
He’s ALWAYS waiting for a bite.. 🙄
This looks like a good one too. I always chop up my sausages but I peel the skin off first. A bit weird but I don’t like the feel of the skin.
Funny isn’t it, when faced with the choice of a list of foods, you never know what to pick. They all look wonderful as are all your recipes. I think you should just go for it – we will love it anyway. And we need some pics of the lovely Dozer as well!!! Thanks Nagi for all your lovely offerings. 😀 I imagine half the world is munching on lots of your food ideas – worth thinking about eh? 😳
HALF the world??! 😳 Surely not! (yet 😉) N xx
Some healthy Desserts, Including easy ingredients paleo one please
Hi Nagi! I’ll be making this recipe this weekend…if I can hold out that long! 🙂
I voted “Other”…and think an E-cookbook with your one pot meals would be perfection. I’ve made 3 of them and will testify they are flavor bombs!! Easy, fast, generally very budget wise as well as time wise. Having them all in one book…does life get better? 🙂
That’s my suggestion, but…no matter what is shared it will be worth it so I’ll be waiting for sure!
Dozer is desperate for some smorgasbord Mom!!! 🙂 🙂
HOW did I not think of One Pot Meals as a theme??! Next time Leah I promise! N xx
Hello Nagi!
I love cooking your recipes and those your mom posts. Delicious food with clear instructions. Your mom’s posts remind me of my cooking class in Komagane-shi in 1972…sooo long ago.
Thank you both! Everyone here agrees with me on this. They are happy eaters.
My vote tags onto Nikki’s comment above with the addition of freezer friendly recipes. Often I cook on the weekend for future dinners when time is short.
We are also big fans of The Dozer. In fact his handsome mug does not grace the bottom of some recipes. Maybe a tab for Dozer? He always brightens our day. 🙂
Thank you again.
Ooh I love that – freezer friendly budget family meals for busy people! The mind boggles with the possibilities….. 😂 As for a Dozer tab…. he’s getting a button soon…. stay tune! N xx
By the Way I love your recipes the one at the moment I like the most is the Mushroom Rice, I made it Sat. afternoon and CAN”T GET ENOUGH OF IT …So very easy to make and The Flavor is Perfect. I know it’s going to take me a few days to finish what I have , But I’m making some more right after that. I even gave some to a friend and she suggested to add some Broccoli to it and I think I will the flavor of the rice and Broccoli, I think it will out of this WORLD. Thank You Again For posting it……..
I’m So pleased you loved the Mushroom Rice Dana! N xx
Hi Nagi
This receipe looks so simple and delish.
Thank you for sharing!
I voted OTHER for you ecookbook
As a busy working mum – I would love to see your a weekday busy mums/dads ecookbood on a budget . Simple , quick, fresh and hearty meals for the whole family.
Thank u again for your awesome ideas and receipes.
Budget Family Meals For Busy People. I LOVE THAT! N x
Hi Nagi. Hope you and Dozer are well. I’ve just noticed that all the posts so far today are dated 29/08/2017. Its funny because I am typing this at 5.45pm on the 28/08/2017, the day before the other posters. I’m wondering if I can get my grandson, Thomas, to like this. He is sausage mad but he’s not always so keen on pasta. I think I might go to a good butchers shop and get some Lincolnshire sausages to put in the recipe. If he see’s them going in it will encourage him. He will be coming down on Friday morning to stay until Saturday afternoon when his mum finishes work and it will be his last full weekday until half term as he starts his new school on Tuesday after the summer holidays so I think that will be the time to try it. Finally, how can you be so cruel, tempting poor Dozer like that by putting the food right under his nose. Most dogs that I’ve known would have snaffled it down by now and be looking for some where to hide while you cool down. Cheers, Phil.
I hope your grandson enjoys this Phil! As for Dozer – hey, it comes with the territory – and he gets plenty of TASTE TESTS!! 😂
Hi Nagi,
It’s so hard to find low sodium recipes for those of us on very restricted sodium intake. The ones that exist, tend to load up on salt substitutes like potassium, but high potassium can also be risky. So my thoughts for the next cookbook would be targeting meals below 750mg sodium. I’m the only one with the restriction so it’s a pain much of the time.
My favourite Chinese meal was steamed lup cheong with rice and steamed greens with soy sauce. Obviously I can never have that again. ☹️ What would you do to make yummy meals with just a little sodium?
Kind regards,
Denise
Hi Denise! Have you found a low sodium soy sauce at your store? It makes such a difference! Also DIY oyster sauce?? N xx
Hi Denise
You have my sympathy! If you’re new to restricted sodium, let me tell you it does get much easier. I have been for 3 years and now don’t even think about salt unless I put something into my mouth that has too much salt. I rarely eat packaged foods and keep meals simple using lemon and pepper mainly for seasoning. Not the variety there used to be, but I don’t care since it’s for my health. Take a look at sodiumgirl.com for some good ideas.
Karen
This sounds delicious! Your timing is perfect. I just bought Italian sausage yesterday. I am doing a pasta bar and was trying to figure out how to cook up the sausage in an appealing way. Seriously – your idea is the best. I took it one step further and cut it up with a kitchen shears (easy peasy – no mess at all). The second batch is frying up now and it looks (and tastes) so yummy! Thank you!!
Your “meatballs” would be SO MUCH neat than mine! 🙂 N xx
Sausage and pasta is such great comfort food, isn’t it? I make a similar version, that’s vegan (using my own vegan sossies), and cooked in the oven. It’s so fab for autumn and winter!
Cool idea to ask your readers what your next e-book should be… I went for the Asian Takeout, as I make Asian (from all over Asia) 5-6 times a week, and firmly believe that you can’t have too many Asian recipes! But you know what would be even better? A veggie Asian takeout e-book.
Just throwin’ it out there! 😉
Keep up the great work, and as ever, thank you for sharing your fabness! xx
Veggie Asian – wow, I LOVE that idea….. N xx
Yay!
BTW, your Charlie Brown sauce – I absolutely love it…. but more importantly, it really helped me to understand what makes a good stir-fry sauce, which in turn, enabled me to come up with my own. Thank you so much – you’re such a brilliant source of inspiration! xx
Thank you for the review Nico, it’s so terrific to hear you enjoyed this! N xx
Dear Nagi, Hugs for gorgeous Dozer, he is so adorable, and kisses for him too, 🙂 We love all your recipes. I don’t know which theme to choose. All your cooking is rather awesome. We have your amazing wings cookbook, and the two ebooks. have made all the recipes in them all now. Superb. Have a lovely day :-), and thank you for sharing your awesome cooking
I’m so pleased you’re enjoying my recipes Deborah, thanks so much for trying them! N xx