Sausage Bow Tie Pasta

Busy weeknights call for quick, easy recipes that can feed the whole family without too many prep steps. That’s why we love this sausage bow tie pasta. It can be ready in just 25 minutes, and it requires simple ingredients that can easily be found in most grocery stores (or in your pantry!). Creamy, savory and meaty, this one-pan meal is a fantastic dinner option when you want to pack nutrients into one hearty dish that’s both comforting and filling.

Ingredients for Sausage Bow Tie Pasta

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

• Bow tie pasta: Bow tie pasta makes for a great presentation, but it’s also an especially useful pasta shape when it comes to clinging to sauce.
• Italian sausage: Italian sausage is typically made from pork and mixed with spices and herbs like oregano, garlic and chili flakes. It can often be spicy, but it can also be sweet—whichever variety you prefer would work nicely for this recipe.
• Onion: Onions provide a sweet, earthy base for this homemade sauce.
• Red pepper flakes: Crushed red pepper flakes are a great way to add gentle heat to any pasta dish, and there’s no need to peel, de-seed or dice peppers. Simply sprinkle on the desired amount while cooking the meat to give the dish an easy, spicy heat.
• Garlic: An essential item in any homemade tomato sauce, minced garlic combines with onion to offer an earthy, savory flavor and subtle spiciness to this pasta recipe.
• Stewed tomatoes: Canned Italian stewed tomatoes are an easy pantry staple to have on hand for recipes like this one. If you can’t find stewed tomatoes, diced or whole canned tomatoes would work nicely too.
• Heavy whipping cream: Once the meat is cooked, stewed tomatoes, heavy cream, salt and basil combine to create a thick and hearty pasta sauce that easily clings to each noodle.
• Basil: Bright, zesty and perfectly earthy, basil finds a welcome home in most homemade Italian sauce recipes like this one.
• Parmesan cheese: Whether you shave it or shred it, Parmesan is the perfect topping for pasta—it adds nutty, cheesy flavor and creamy texture.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain it and set it aside.

Step 2: Cook and season the sausage

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Meanwhile, in a 6-quart stockpot, cook the sausage with the onion and crushed red pepper flakes over medium heat until the sausage is no longer pink, five to seven minutes, breaking up the meat into crumbles as you go. Add the garlic, and cook for one more minute, then drain.

Step 3: Make the sauce

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Stir in the tomatoes, cream, salt and basil, then bring the pan to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat, then simmer uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Finish the pasta and sauce

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

Sausage Bow Tie Pasta Variations

• Use a different pasta: If you can’t find bow tie pasta, this dish can easily be replicated with another shape. Try penne, ziti, medium shells or paccheri.
• Add more vegetables: We love recipes like this because it’s one complete dinner without the mess of many pots and pans. If you want to add more vegetables to round out this dinner, try adding some spinach, chopped broccoli or chopped bell pepper in to Step 2, then continue with the recipe as is. You could also sprinkle in frozen peas in Step 3—just check that they’re heated all the way through before serving.

How to Store Sausage Bow Tie Pasta

If there are any leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator. Let the leftovers come down to room temperature first, and once cooled, transfer the pasta to a refrigerator-safe container with an airtight lid. Store it in the refrigerator for three to five days.

How do you reheat bow tie pasta with sausage?

This pasta dish is easy to reheat. You can warm leftovers up in the microwave, or transfer them to a skillet and heat them over the stove. For the latter, simply heat a nonstick skillet over low to medium heat and stir the pasta occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes.

Sausage Bow Tie Pasta Tips

Jonathan Melendez for Taste of Home

What can I serve with this dish?

This bow tie pasta and sausage is a pretty complete meal on its own, so you don’t necessarily need to serve side dishes with it. However, a nice hunk of fresh Italian bread would be a great addition, as would a simple fresh salad.

Can I make this dish vegetarian?

If you’re serving guests who don’t eat meat, you can absolutely make a few simple omissions that will make this sausage and bow tie pasta a vegetarian-friendly dish. First, skip the sausage and swap in your favorite meat-free alternative. You can use a combination of chopped vegetables like mushrooms and peppers or vegan crumbles, whichever you prefer.

What’s the difference between farfalle pasta and bow tie pasta?

Farfalle pasta and bow tie pasta are actually the same thing! The unique pasta shape is so versatile because it’s great at catching a variety of different types of sauce. Due to its shape and the ridges along the edges, bow ties are great for clinging to both creamy and chunky pasta sauces.