Fresh Tomatoes & Sausage Pasta

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This fast and easy pasta recipe, made with fresh ingredients, including tomatoes, spices and Italian sausages, it’s ready in less than 30 minutes! This Sausage Pasta Dish will become your new favourite.

Ahh Pasta, we have Marco Polo to thank for bringing one of Italy’s most popular dishes here from China! Thanks to him, Pasta is probably one of the most famous and delicious foods in the world.

Homemade fresh pasta or boxed pasta (dry) can be accompanied pretty well by anything and everything. Ok I draw the line at Chocolate, but other than that! One of my favourite dishes is this Pasta with Italian Sausage and Fresh Tomatoes.

Table of Contents

Recipe Ingredients

Olive Oil – extra virgin olive oil
Tomatoes – grape, cherry or chopped san marzano (roma) tomatoes
Sausages – Italian sausage either hot or mild
Oregano – ground
Basil – fresh
Thyme – ground or fresh
Garlic – 1-2 cloves
Salt
Hot pepper flakes – optional
Pasta – short pasta of choice

It is fast and easy, and with summer here there is nothing better than sautéing some Fresh Tomatoes and leaving the canned until the fall.

How to make Sausage Pasta

This recipe is basically a one pot dish, your water is boiling and your sauce is cooking. Never cook your pasta in the same pot as your sauce. It’s just not right and doesn’t taste the way it should!

While the water is boiling, in a large frying pan add olive oil, the sausage pieces, tomatoes, and spices, stir it altogether and cook on medium heat.

Sausage, tomato and spices in a black pan.

Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until liquid (from the tomatoes) has evaporated and tomatoes are soft and a little bit shrivelled and the sausage is cooked.

Add the drained cooked pasta and 1/2 a ladle of pasta water, turn heat to medium high and gently stir until mixture is creamy and water has evaporated, serve immediately with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil.

How to cook pasta

Always cook the pasta in enough water, you will need 4 cups (1 litre) for 3 1/2 ounces (100 grams) of pasta. Be sure to choose the correct size pot, you don’t want the water to reach the rim and overflow, because pasta, when cooked, can increase in volume up to three times. Always cover the pot when boiling the water, but remove it once the pasta has been added.

Calculate about 7 g of salt for every litre of water. Add the salt only when the water has reached a boil and never before.

After adding the pasta to the pot, bring it back to a boil and keep it at a boil while the pasta is cooking. This allows the pasta to achieve an even cooking, be sure to stir frequently while it is cooking.

Never pass the freshly drained pasta under running tap water. You should never stop the cooking, even when you are making a cold pasta salad, let it cool by adding a drizzle of olive oil to prevent it from sticking.

Drain the pasta al dente, this is done by tasting, if it has a bite to it it’s ready, nothing worse than mushy pasta. If you have to toss the pasta in a pan with sauce (like this recipe) then cook it at least one minute less (pasta very al dente). And be sure to leave some pasta water to add to the pan.

What are the best Sausages to use?

This recipe is perfect with either hot or sweet Italian sausages. It is simple and easy, to tell the truth sometimes those are the best. If you use hot then you may want to eliminate the hot pepper flakes unless you like really hot and spicy.

What fresh tomatoes are the best in Pasta Dishes?

Living in Italy has probably spoiled me when it comes to cooking with fresh tomatoes. My favourite are the smaller variety, cherry, grape or what are known as pachino tomatoes from Sicily. These are a crunchier, tastier and sweeter tomato. So if you ever see them in your local market, grab a bunch and make this delicious Sausage Pasta Dish or even Homemade Pizza!

I can remember when I first arrived in Italy, I thought there was nothing better than pasta everyday. My mother-in-law could whip up those dishes in nothing flat. And it would always be something fresh from her garden, winter or summer.

FAQs

How to store it

Any leftover pasta should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last up to 3 days in the fridge. It can be reheated in the microwave or in a skillet add a little water or even olive oil and reheat on low.

Should I pre boil the sausage?

No the sausages do not need to be pre boiled, since they are cut up and cooked together with the tomatoes.

What is the best pasta to use?

For this recipe short pasta is definitely the best. I would use a penne, fusilli, rigatoni or even mezze maniche all with ridges. Make sure you choose a good quality pasta and cook pasta al dente.

Can I use canned tomatoes?

If you wish you could substitute with a can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes (plum or Roma tomatoes), be sure to chop them before adding to the pan.

How much dried pasta is equal to cooked?

Approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups is equal to 3 cups cooked.

Sausage pasta in a white dish with a silver serving spoon.

More Fresh Tomato Recipes

When you make this Fresh Tomato & Sausage Pasta Dish there is no need for anything else. Well ok maybe a nice glass of Italian wine and a slice of Crust Italian bread to scoop up any sauce in your plate. Buon Appetito!