This Creamy Sausage Mushroom Pasta is pure comfort food. A rich and creamy sauce loaded with Italian sausage and mushrooms served over the pasta of your choice, total crowd pleaser!
You know when you have one of those days that you’re just dead on your feet and you know you just need something comforting and delicious, but also easy and quick to throw together. This creamy sausage pasta is just that, plus it’s good for the soul – I promise you.
It’s chock full of earthy, savory mushrooms, spicy and plump sausage, and of course perfectly al dente pasta. I’m a sucker for a rich creamy sauce, I mean who isn’t? So of course this dish is swimming in one, so let’s get into it.
The best thing about this dish, other than how it tastes, is how flexible it is! By no means do you have to stick with the recipe listed below to the letter. If you have extra veggies or other kinds of protein hanging around the fridge then feel free to add them! I’ve included a section below that lists some great tasting additions so keep scrolling!
What Is Mafalda Pasta?
If you’re unfamiliar with this style of pasta, I don’t blame you – I mean it’s not exactly common. This style almost looks like shrunken down lasagna sheets which means they’ll be totally twirl-able when incorporated into your dish. I promise you’ll be able to find them at your local grocery store but if not any small shaped pasta will work just fine.
Ingredients
- Pasta – We’re using Mafalda pasta today but if you can’t find it any small shaped pasta will work.
- Sausage – I used nice Italian sausage with the casings removed.
- Butter – Unsalted as we want to control the sodium in our dish.
- Garlic – Use as much or little as you like.
- Mushrooms – Fresh and sliced up, I used white mushrooms today.
- Herbs – Fresh parsley all chopped up.
- Red pepper flakes – To add some heat and color to our dish, go for as little or as much as you like depending on your spice tolerance.
- Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
- Cream – I used whipping cream today, feel free to go as heavy or as light as you like fat percentage wise.
How To Make Creamy Sausage Mushroom Pasta
- Prepare the pasta: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Brown the sausage: At the same time cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink and starts to brown. It should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the skillet.
- Saute the sauteables: Add the butter to the skillet and melt. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until it becomes aromatic. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until they start to brown and all the liquid has evaporated.
- Create the sauce: Season the mushrooms with salt, pepper then add the red pepper flakes. Stir in the whipping cream and return the sausage back to the skillet. Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces a bit.
- Finish the dish: Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm over cooked pasta.
What Else Can I Use In Creamy Sausage Mushroom Pasta
As I said above, you can have as much fun with this dish as you’d like! Here’s some great additions:
| Veggies | Meat | Pasta |
|---|---|---|
| Asparagus | Beef | Bowties |
| Green peas | Chicken | Penne |
| Zucchini | Turkey | Rigatoni |
| Cherry tomatoes | Shrimp | Noodles |
| Onion |
Storing Leftovers
Properly cool the pasta before storing it, so that it will freeze and store evenly. It will stay fresh for 3 – 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Frozen pasta dishes will last for 2 – 3 months, just be sure to allow to thaw fully in the fridge before re heating.
More Must Try Pasta Recipes:
- Creamy Cajun Pastalaya
- One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna
- Arugula and Walnut Pesto Pasta
- Chicken Pesto Caprese Pasta
- Penne with Prosciutto, Tomatoes and Zucchini
- Penne with Cream and Smoked Salmon
- Leftover Ham And Cheese Penne
- Greek Chicken Pasta
- Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper
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Creamy Sausage Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta I used Mafalda
- 3/4 lb Italian sausage no casings
- 2 tbsp butter unsalted
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb white mushrooms sliced
- 1/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 cups whipping cream (35%)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
- At the same time cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until no longer pink and starts to brown. It should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the skillet.
- Add the butter to the skillet and melt. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until it becomes aromatic. Add the mushrooms and stir. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes until they start to brown and all the liquid has evaporated.
- Season the mushrooms with salt, pepper then add the red pepper flakes. Stir in the whipping cream and return the sausage back to the skillet. Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduces a bit.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve warm over cooked pasta.
Video
Recipe Notes
- If you don’t like mushrooms, use any vegetable you like such as peas or asparagus. You can always use beef, chicken, shrimp, or turkey as well.
- Use any type of pasta that you like. I find this works the best with smaller types such as penne, rotini, bowties, etc. but you use noodle types as well.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
A very quick, easy, delicious comfort food. Was a big hit
This was delicious! Thanks for sharing.
It was easy and delicious!!
Very quick and easy to throw together, tasty too. The only addition I made was a handful of Parmesan cheese. My family loved it, I will definitely make it again.
Yeh, ty jo for an idea what to do with my sausage roll in the frig
I ended up dicing the mushrooms finely, but I think it made the sauce even creamier. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe! 🙂
My pleasure, just glad you liked it!
Thank you for such a fantastic recipe
Hi Joanna – I am delighted with your book “30-Minute One-Pot Meals”! My cooking has improved dramatically – and my husband and I are oooing and ahhhing with each bite!!
I have a question about the Pan-Seared Chicken with Creamy Garlicky Wine Sauce: I have a non-stick pan (I am willing to purchase another type if you think I should. If so what type of pan?). I browned the chicken on medium heat for the time you said. (I am not sure what you meant by “searing” which I thought meant very hot heat). Anyhow, when I added the white wine & cream, it did not turn brown like the sauce in your picture. It stayed pale. Also the chicken was a bit hard and dry. What am I doing wrong? Thanks for your advise. -Beverly
Hi Beverly! Thank you for purchasing my book! A non-stick pan should be fine, you don’t want to use high heat because the chicken will burn on the outside and still remain pink on the inside. Perhaps, try medium-high heat and just cook the chicken on both sides until done. Refer to the book for instructions on how to check when the chicken is done. The sauce will brown from the brown bits left in the pan from cooking the chicken, however I wouldn’t worry so much about the color, as long as the taste is good.
Oh I’m so sorry about your dog, it’s SO hard losing a fur baby. My little Jack russell left us 5 months ago and I’m still crying. This gorgeous dish is a true comfort dish – simply lovely – thank you:)
Thank you, Mary, sorry to hear about your little Jack russell too, trust me I’m still crying over my pup. All I have to do is look at pictures of her, or I’ll remember something and it sets me off. It’s tough. Hope you try the recipe!
Looks delicious!
I NEVER leave comments unless I`m really affected by the post. This one got to me. We lost our 13 year old chihuahua in July of 2009. I felt as if I had lost a child. Despite swearing to never get another prior to losing her, I felt so empty the next morning I had to do something to alleviate the hollow spot. We checked the paper and found another chihuahua. The people who had her had no business raising dogs. She was flea ridden with big patches of missing fur. We took her home and named her Black Sassafras Our Saving Grace. Sassy Grace is totally different with her own personality. So far, she has no health problems except for being overweight, which is mainly our fault. Our first little girl had severe allergies and had to take shots from the time she was about 5 years old. As i try to type with one hand and rub Sassy`s belly with the other, i remember how much of a distraction she provided at a much needed time. Good luck with your new baby.
Thank you so much, Debbie! I love the name of your puppy! Thank you for sharing your story with me, it means a lot to me.
Joanna, like many, I empathize with your loss of Mia… I lost my 2 long-time friend(s); Corgi’s in 2016; One on Valentines Day and the other (16 yrs with me) on May 13th, (Friday the 13th!). I found being without a canine buddy harder than constantly crying over the loss so I adopted a “rescue dog” that was a Corgi-Red Healer (cattle dog) mix. I decided I did not want to get one that looked just like my long time Corgi breed choices, so this was a perfect way to enjoy 2 breeds in one! It did not take long to find I had made a great choice and sharing my love with my new buddy was EASY! My Mango was among many from ‘kill shelters’ around the country that the rescue group collects and travels around the States to find homes. I ended up with a great dog and he ended up with a Good-Safe loving home. The breed really does not matter.
I agree with you. Mia was a beagle and I love beagles so much I think they’re the most adorable looking dog, but I find I cannot get another beagle for fear of comparing the new pup with Mia. I agree that the breed doesn’t matter, but my husband took this way harder than I did, so I’ll let him pick the dog that he thinks is good for us.
I’m so, so sorry about Mia, Joanna. It’s so hard to lose a beloved pet. The only thing I’ve heard about dog breeds is that it’s better to get a mixed breed because a lot of the pure breds have health issues. But it sounds like you’ve done plenty of research and found a breed that doesn’t have these problems. We briefly considered a dog (never had one as an adult with my own home) after our cat died last year, but ended up with another cat due to lifestyle compatibility.
I’m a regular reader who rarely comments, but just wanted to say I love your writing style and your recipes!
Thank you so much Dawn, it means a lot to me! I used to have a cat, but hubs is deathly allergic to them, so dogs it is for us.
So sorry about your baby girl. I lost two ( a 7# pound Pomeranian and a 130# American/English bulldog) within a month of each other a couple years ago, still think about them too! I did research as well…it seems that the best bet for the least amount of health problems tends to be mixed breeds because the healthier genes tend to mask over the problem genes. Of course, once I started looking for a new puppy all that research went out the window when I saw puppy faces! I went with another Pomeranian which is one of the breeds I had before and I love how they’re small enough to tuck into my robe and go about my day. That way I can still get my snuggles in. 🙂 Good Luck!
Oh Pomeranian are adorable! Thanks Suzi for sharing your story with me, I honestly don’t know how you handled losing 2 pups within a month of each other, must have been horrible.
Greetings, Jocooks- I tried ‘no knead Dutch oven bread’ recipe- very poor results. I followed recipe exactly, but I was wondering how the yeast works without sugar? I let it sit out for 18 hours- didn’t rise at all. I baked for 30 minutes, lid on 10 minutes lid off and the results were like baked playdo. Straight from the cutting board to trash. Looking forward to feedback.
Please check your yeast, it could be expired or no longer good. One way to test your yeast is by adding a tsp to about 1/4 cup of warm water and a tsp of sugar. If the yeast starts bubbling up within minutes it should be fine. No sugar is necessary in this bread, during the 18 hours there should be plenty of time for the dough to rise as you can see in the video.