Creamy Sausage and Mushroom Pasta

This creamy sausage and mushroom pasta is the ultimate easy comfort food! Delicious bits of crispy Italian sausage and tender mushrooms smothered in a creamy tomato sauce are simply irresistible. Expect everyone to ask for seconds!

Love creamy pasta recipes? Try my Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta, this Pink Sauce Pasta or my Creamy Rasta Pasta.

There’s no better treat on a weeknight than a bowl of delicious pasta, and this creamy sausage and mushroom pasta truly delivers.

If you like creamy, garlicky and flavorful pasta, this one is likely to be a big hit. It has a velvety tomato sauce that pairs perfectly with the orecchiette, and it’s also super easy to make.

I like to make it with Italian sausage, but it’s also super tasty with spicy Italian sausage, turkey sausage, or chicken sausage.

Why you’ll love this sausage and mushroom pasta

• A restaurant-worthy sauce that’s simply irresistible
• Super easy to make on busy weeknights yet elegant enough for date night or entertaining
• The sauce is comforting and indulgent, with a perfect balance between tangy tomatoes and smooth cream.

Ingredients to make pasta with sausage and mushrooms

Orecchiette — I love the shape of orecchiette for this pasta dish as they’re great at holding the sauce, basically acting like little scoops.

However, if you don’t have them, fusilli, rigatoni or penne are all great choices here.

Olive oil — You only need a splash of olive oil to cook the sausage and aromatics in.

Italian sausage — As always, try to use the best quality Italian sausage you can to get the perfect flavor.

Onion — I used a regular yellow onion, but white onions or shallots also work.

Garlic — This is the type of recipe where fresh garlic is simply a must!

Mushrooms — The mushrooms you see in this recipe are called pioppini or Black Poplar mushrooms. I love them in this sausage and mushroom pasta recipe because they have an intense forest flavor.

Crimini mushrooms or porcini mushrooms are perfectly fine substitutes.

Dry white wine — The wine gives this pasta sauce an elegant flavor, so I highly recommend it. Any dry white wine you enjoy drinking would work here.

If you prefer to cook without alcohol, substitute the wine for the same quantity of chicken or vegetable broth.

Italian seasoning — A store-bought mix is just fine, or you could use a mix of dried oregano, basil, and rosemary.

Tomato puree (passata) — This provides that lovely tomato flavor to the sauce. You can sub for crushed tomatoes if you like.

Heavy cream — Don’t sub the heavy cream! While it might be tempting to try lower-fat alternatives, this is not the recipe for that. That’s because lower-fat cream is likely to curdle with the acidity of the tomatoes.

Black Tuscan kale (cavolo nero) — The Tuscan kale gives this pasta dish that authentic Italian vibe, but if you’re not a fan, you can use spinach instead.

Parmesan — This will give the sauce a cheesy boost; freshly grated is always best!

How to make sausage and mushroom pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, and cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it apart with a spatula. Cook until the sausage is browned and cooked through.

Add the finely diced onion and garlic and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. Then, add the sliced mushrooms. Continue to cook until the mushrooms are soft and browned.

Pour in the dry white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

Stir in the Italian seasoning, and allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes until the liquid reduces slightly.

Stir in the tomato puree (passata) and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

Next, add the heavy cream, stirring well to combine everything into a smooth sauce.

Add the shredded black Tuscan kale (cavolo nero) to the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes until wilted.

Add the cooked orecchiette pasta, tossing everything together to ensure the pasta is evenly coated in the creamy sauce.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve immediately, with extra freshly grated Parmesan on top if you like.

Recipe notes and tips

• This pasta dish is best served immediately. If you do have leftovers, they will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. It’s best to reheat the leftovers in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
• For extra texture, cook the sausage until it’s slightly crispy on the edges. It adds a delightful crunch.
• Add a dollop of mascarpone cheese along with the heavy cream for an extra luxurious sauce.
• Mix different types of mushrooms, like shiitake or portobello, for varied textures and an earthier taste.

If you liked this creamy sausage and mushroom pasta recipe, you might also like some of my other easy creamy pasta dishes:

• Creamy Chorizo and Prawn Pasta
• Creamy Curry Pasta
• Salmon Paccheri Pasta
• Creamy Honey Mustard Salmon Pasta
• Creamy Bacon and Mushroom Pasta

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