30-Minute Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Pasta

Jul 21, 2026

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30-Minute Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Pasta 🍝

Sausage browns, tomatoes go in, and the pasta cooks right in the sauce so there’s nothing to drain. A splash of cream at the end pulls it together and the spinach wilts in off the heat. One pot, about half an hour, and it’s one my family asks for on repeat.

30 Minute Creamy Tomato, Italian Sausage & Spinach Pasta

A hearty and comforting 30 Minute Creamy Tomato, Italian Sausage & Spinach Pasta from Cooking Mawma. Italian sausage simmered in a rich creamy tomato sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and fresh spinach for the ultimate weeknight dinner.

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: 30 Minute Dinner, 30 Minute Meal, Comfort Food, Italian, Orzo, The Cooking Mawma

Servings: servings

Calories: 865kcal

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Ingredients

1 lb mild ground Italian sausage
1 lb casarecce pasta or any short pasta like rigatoni, penne, etc.
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 white/yellow onion chopped
5 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes optional
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1 28oz can whole or crushed tomatoes
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt & pepper more to taste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup parmesan cheese more to top
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 handful spinach

Instructions

In a large pot, boil salted pasta water on medium-high. Cook pasta until al dente and set aside (toss with 1tbsp butter or 1tbsp oil to prevent sticking).
In a large pan with sides, add Italian sausage on medium heat. Cook until it’s mostly browned. Once mostly browned, add olive oil, onion, garlic, red pepper flakes and cook until somewhat softened (about 2-3 minutes).
Add tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add sun dried tomatoes, can of whole tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper and mix. Cover half way and cook sauce down for 20 minutes on low, stirring occasionally.
After 20 minutes, add heavy cream, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese and mix until melted. Add cooked pasta and a handful of spinach. Enjoy!

Nutrition

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Tips for Making This Recipe

Brown the sausage well and leave some browned bits in the pan for flavor.
Cook the tomato paste a minute before adding liquid to deepen the sauce.
Stir the cream in off a hard boil so it doesn’t separate.
Add the spinach at the very end so it just wilts.
Use a short ridged pasta like casarecce or rigatoni to hold the sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why cook the pasta in the sauce instead of boiling it separately?

The pasta releases its starch straight into the sauce, which thickens it and helps it cling. You also skip a pot and the pasta tastes like the sauce instead of like water.

Mild or hot sausage?

Either. Mild keeps it kid-friendly, hot gives it a low background warmth. Red pepper flakes let you split the difference at the table.

Can I make it without cream?

Yes. A ladle of the starchy cooking liquid and extra parmesan gives you a lighter sauce that still coats everything.

Does it freeze well?

The sauce freezes beautifully on its own. Cook fresh pasta when you reheat it, since frozen pasta turns soft.

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