Italian Sausage Pasta
This Italian Sausage Pasta is a favorite weeknight meal, as it takes just 30 minutes. Leftover sauce tastes even better the next day!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground Italian sausage
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 large tomatoes, ripe, seeded and chopped
- 48 ounces pasta sauce, tomato-based, such as marinara
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- kosher salt, to taste
- black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
- 1 pound pasta, of your choice
- Parmesan cheese, (optional)
- basil, freshly chopped, or oregano (optional)
Instructions
- In a heavy large pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Brown ground sausage, stirring and breaking up the meat until cooked through. Transfer to separate bowl and set aside.
- In the same large pot, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add garlic and onion, and saute until translucent.
- Add in tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Continue to cook another minute. Add browned sausage back to the pot, and stir to combine.
- Add tomato pasta sauce, sugar, oregano, and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta just until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain and toss with warm pasta sauce. Garnish with parmesan and freshly chopped basil.
Notes
- Brown the sausage well. Let it develop a deep color before removing it from the pot to build rich flavor in the sauce.
- Don’t skip the sugar. A small spoonful balances the acidity of the tomatoes and rounds out the flavor.
- Simmer gently. Let the sauce bubble on low heat so the sausage and herbs infuse the tomato base without burning.
- Cook pasta just to al dente. Slightly firm pasta holds up better when tossed with the warm sauce.
- If you'd like, save a little pasta water. A splash can help the sauce cling to the noodles and adjust the consistency if needed.
- If the sauce feels too thick, stir in a bit of chicken or vegetable broth to loosen it up.
- This recipe is part of our 30-Minute Meals Recipe Collection.
- We love serving it with Easy Garlic Parmesan Knots or Rosemary Garlic Bread for a filling, family meal.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 421kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 833mg | Potassium: 417mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1291IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2mg