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.
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.
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
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.
No the sausages do not need to be pre boiled, since they are cut up and cooked together with the tomatoes.
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.
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.
Approximately 1 1/2 to 2 cups is equal to 3 cups cooked.
More Fresh Tomato Recipes
- Creamy Fresh Tomato Pesto
- Easy Italian Fresh Tomato Cheese Pie
- Homemade Oven Dried Tomatoes
- Easy Italian Tomato Bruschetta
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!
Fresh Tomatoes & Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 20-25 cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 Italian sausages (casing removed and chopped into small pieces, hot or mild sausages)
- 3/4 teaspoon oregano
- 4-5 leaves fresh basil
- 1-2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1-2 pinches hot pepper flakes if desired
- 1-2 pinches fresh thyme
- 3 cups cooked short pasta (approximately 1 1/2 -2 cups dry)
- freshly grated Parmesan Cheese if desired
Instructions
- In a large pot boil water, add salt and cook pasta al dente.
- While the water is boiling, in a large frying pan add olive oil, sausage pieces, tomatoes, oregano, basil, garlic, hot pepper flakes, salt and thyme, stir together, and cook, stirring occasionally on medium heat.
- Continue cooking until liquid (from the tomatoes) has evaporated and tomatoes are soft and a little bit shrivelled and sausage is cooked. Add drained cooked pasta and ¼-⅓ cup 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. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Updated from June 25, 2015.
Bonnie says
So simple and so very delicious! I used radiatore pasta, and my fresh sausage package had three, so I used all of them and upped the tomato content slightly. Prep to table was about 40 minutes, and I am not fast. Husband loves it too. Thank you for this.
Rosemary says
Hi Bonnie, thanks so much, so glad you and your husband enjoyed it. Take care!
Ann says
Delish, tried this tonight.
Rosemary says
Hi Ann thanks so much so glad you enjoyed them. Take care!
Deborah says
This recipe is so good! I have made it twice and each time enjoyed gathering the tomatoes, basil and thyme from my garden. The first time I made it as your recipe is written. The second time, there wasn’t any Italian sausage in the house (such a shame) but I did have skinless boneless chicken breasts so I cut them in small pieces and proceeded with the recipe as written. It, too, was fantastic! Thank you for the time you put into your recipes and sharing them.
Rosemary says
Hi Deborah, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Good idea with the chicken also. Take care and have a great week.
Laurie-Anne Ranger says
I used double the cherry tomatoes and 5 spicy Italian sausages. I kept the casing and cut the sausages in chunks. It was the perfect meal for a winter evening.
Rosemary says
Hi Laurie-Anne, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Happy New Year.
Tina says
This is my son’s absolute favorite! He’s in Thailand now and fresh tomatoes are easily available. Could you use a can of diced tomatoes or some other canned tomato?
Rosemary says
Hi Tina, thanks so much and so happy your son like it. Yes you can use canned tomatoes, make sure there is nothing added just the tomatoes and juice is fine. All the best to you and your son.
Jeff W says
Simply fantastic. I’m a novice in the kitchen, but learning new things every day. With an abundance of fresh cherry tomatoes from our garden, my wife sent me this recipe. The only disappointment I have right now is I’m totally stuffed and can’t eat any more tonight. But there’s always tomorrow.
Thank you for sharing. This couldn’t have been easier or more tasty. Going to check out more of your receipes. Thanks again!
Rosemary says
Hi Jeff, thank so much, so glad you and your wife enjoyed. And have fun in the kitchen, nothing better than home cooking! Take care.
Jayne L Wells says
My husband loves this recipe. It came out FANTASTIC!
I loved the fresh herbs in this recipe. It gave me a way to utilize my herb garden.
Thank you!
Rosemary says
Hi Jayne, thanks so much, so glad you enjoyed it. Take care.
Rob D says
This was quick and easy
My fany loved it and it was very affordable
Rosemary says
Hi Rob, thanks so much and glad your family loved it.
Deborah Rio says
This recipe was GREAT and I have come to expect that from you. Before regular grocery shopping day I was surprised to have all the ingredients readily available. We enjoyed the dinner very much! Thank you.
Rosemary says
Hi Deborah, thanks what a nice compliment. Glad you enjoyed the pasta, have a great weekend.
Marisa says
Growing up mamma would make salsa cruda which she whipped up in no time at all. She didn’t use lots of herbs and spices — just like your recipe, simple but very flavorful. Yum!! Thanks for sharing.
D. Walker says
This looks so good…. and SO easy! I recently spent 3 wks with a friend in Italy. She’s an awesome cook and this is exactly how she cooks over there . . . everything fresh, meals came together super quick. Olive oil and tons of garlic . . . the secrets to delicious Italian cuisine! I’m trying this recipe tonight!
Rose says
What part of Italy did you visit? I hope you enjoy it, and let me know how it went. Have a great day.