The contrast of the spicy sausage pasta in tomato basil sauce and the mild creamy ricotta strike just the right balance in this easy recipe.

Take a look at our Sausage Pasta Bake if baked pasta with golden melty mozzarella on top is more your style!

top down view of rigatoni with sausage in tomato sauce topped with ricotta

Quick and satisfying pasta dishes are my lifeline during a busy week. I rely on them to feed my family a healthy and varied diet because pasta could be made in so many ways!

There’s a reason why this sausage pasta is a weekday staple in my house. It’s the meal I so often crave when we’re looking for tasty dinner that will tick all the comfort food boxes.

Creamy, savoury and a hint of spice all combined in one easy-to-make dish. What’s not to love?

Easy Pasta Dishes

I love that I could add a handful of vegetables and create something wholesome, which also happens to be very frugal. Tuna Noodle Casserole is such a good example of inexpensive dinners, that could be made in a flash. I use whole wheat pasta and add kale to my recipe for extra fibre and vitamins.

Pasta could also be made into a vegetarian main dish like this Creamy Orzo Pasta with Roasted Butternut Squash. It’s a huge reader favourite and is loved by vegetarians and meat eaters alike.

sausage pasta sauce in a pan with a wooden spoon

Spicy Sausage Pasta Sauce

The recipe I am sharing today has been our family’s staple for at least a decade. Italian-flavoured sausage is cooked in a spicy tomato sauce, then tossed with pasta.

Let’s talk about this mouthwatering sauce, which takes barely any time to make and doesn’t require expensive ingredients. The high quality ripe canned tomatoes give it a sweet taste with just a hint of spice from the chillies. While we might not associate spicy food with Italy, it has its rightful place in their cooking.

Spicy Italian sauces come from the South as a result of North African influence centuries ago. You can also see chillies being added to fresh pork sausages and salami in the South.

There’s a reason why I often look to sausages when I want a meaty dish but don’t want to put in a lot of effort. Sausages come pre-spiced, meaning they will flavour any dish without you having to do much at all. Just take the mince out of the casings and you are ready to go.

Another of my secret ingredients for this sauce is fennel seeds. Another much loved Southern Italian ingredient. They add a touch of sweetness as well as a very mild liquorice taste.

If you hate the taste of liquorice like I do, I still urge to give fennel seeds a chance. They get balanced out by the rich flavours of the sausage and tomatoes, and do not overpower this dish in the slightest.

Recipe Tips and Notes

I recommend using thicker pasta shapes like rigatoni, penne or fusilli. They are able to stand up to this robust sausage tomato sauce. Tubular and ridged pasta like penne and rigatoni is also great for for holding onto the sauce.
Either buy Italian-flavoured sausage or plain sausage and add your own spices to it. The recipe below will guide you.
Take the sausages out of their casing and break them up into bite-sized pieces. The sauce will taste better with sausage chunks rather than sausage mince. They will resemble rough sausage meatballs this way.
Turn the heat up and get a good colour on the sausage, which means leaving them undisturbed on a pan for a few minutes before stirring. Caramelisation equals flavour!
Use higher quality canned tomatoes. I recommend buying whole canned tomatoes as they are usually of premium quality compared to the chopped ones. Just break them up with a wooden spoon or better yet use a potato masher.
Use fresh basil if possible for more flavour!
Dot the pasta with dollops of fresh ricotta right before serving and allow the diners to mix it in on their own.

Serving Suggestions

This pasta recipe is wonderful as it is a one pan dish. Adding a simple side vegetable or a salad would make it a well-rounded meal. My personal favourites are Lemon Garlic Green Beans with Parmesan Cheese or Roasted Parmesan Broccoli.

If you prefer a salad, take a look at our Warm Zucchini Salad or explore our salad category for more ideas.

Storage and leftovers

I find leftover pasta can become too sticky and clumpy but I also can’t live with throwing good food away! This spicy sausage pasta will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

It’s best to reheat on the oven. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F for 10-15 minutes and make sure the pasta is piping hot all the way through before serving.

Freezing is not really an option though! If pasta doesn’t love being in the fridge, it definitely hates being frozen! Soggy, limp pasta is just never going to be a winner.

More Favourite Sausage Pasta Recipes