Pasta with Sausage and Peas

If you’re in the mood for a meal that’s both comforting and sophisticated, look no further than this delicious pasta studded with juicy sausage and sweet peas. Pasta with sausage and peas seamlessly combines hearty flavors and creamy textures, with al dente rigatoni pasta enveloped in a rich tomato sauce. Whether you opt for the crumbly, briny feta or the creamy, tangy goat cheese, each bite promises a burst of flavor that will leave your hungry crew asking for seconds and thirds. It’s the perfect choice for both weeknight dinners and special occasions.

Ingredients for Pasta with Sausage and Peas

• Pasta: A ridged pasta like rigatoni is perfect with this sausage-flecked sauce that clings to every crevice and hides inside the tubes too.
• Sausage: You’ll also need a pound of Italian pork sausage. Feel free to use sweet, like we did, or hot.
• Garlic: Garlic impart deep flavor to the sauce.
• Tomato paste: Tomato paste adds lots of umami and helps thicken the sauce.
• Tomatoes: This zesty red sauce is packed with crushed tomatoes. We use canned tomatoes, but you can also use jarred sauce in a pinch.
• Herbs and spices: Dried basil and crushed red pepper flakes are the key herbs and spices here, although we also garnish the pasta with a smattering of fresh basil at the end.
• Peas: Sausage and peas make a brilliant pairing, especially in pasta dishes. They add a bit of pop to every bite and sneak in some green at the same time.
• Cream: Heavy whipping cream is also added to the sauce at the end to make it more luscious and silky.
• Cheese: Tangy goat cheese or briny feta are both great options to serve on top of this pasta.

Directions

Step 1: Cook the pasta

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Cook the rigatoni according to the package directions.

Step 2: Cook the sausage

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium heat for six to eight minutes or until it’s no longer pink, breaking it into crumbles with a wooden spoon.

Step 3: Make the sauce

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Add the minced garlic to the same pot, cooking for one minute longer until it’s fragrant and translucent. Drain off any excess grease. Add the tomato paste, continuing to cook and stir for two to three minutes or until the meat is coated in the paste. Stir in the tomatoes, dried basil and pepper flakes, bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer it, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened, stirring occasionally.

Step 4: Finish the pasta

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Once the rigatoni is cooked to your preference, drain it. Add the peas and cream and heat them through. Stir the pasta into the sausage mixture. Top the pasta with the crumbled goat or feta cheese and fresh basil.

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

Pasta with Sausage and Peas Variations

• Switch up the cheese: Not feeling feta or goat cheese with this pasta? Opt for grated parmesan instead, or tear up a juicy ball of burrata and nestle dollops of the creamy stracciatella curds in with the sausage and peas.
• Make it spicy(er): While this pasta isn’t mild by any means—it has red pepper flakes already—those who like it hot can also crush up some Calabrian chiles in the sauce for even more heat.
• Switch up the pasta: This hearty sauce would also work well with penne, orecchiette or other tubular pasta shapes.

How to Store Pasta with Sausage and Peas

Let pasta with sausage and peas cool slightly before transferring any leftovers to airtight containers and storing them in the fridge or freezer. You could also transfer them to tinfoil trays if you have a lot left over for easy reheat-and-eat dinners throughout the week.

How long does pasta with sausage and peas last?

This pasta with sausage and peas can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days. The peas may start to get mushy and the sauce may break down a bit the longer it sits in the fridge.

Can you freeze pasta with peas and sausage?

You can definitely freeze the sauce, but we recommend doing so separately, without the pasta. Noodles tend to turn mushy once thawed and no one wants that.

Pasta with Sausage and Peas Tips

Sarah Tramonte for Taste of Home

What should I do if my sauce seems dry?

If your sauce seems dry, reduced or on the drier side, you may have simmered the sauce for too long. Try adding more tomatoes, cream or some jarred marinara to the mix. A few ladles of reserved pasta water will also loosen things up—just keep in mind that your pasta water should be salty.

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

Of course, pasta with sausage and peas can be made dairy-free! Leave out the cream entirely and garnish the pasta with vegan cheese crumbles. Alternatively, you could use dairy-free cream.

What sides go well with sausage pasta and peas?

A nice green salad, a loaf of crusty bread (bonus points if it’s garlic bread) and a few appetizers like stuffed mushrooms or eggplant rollatini will round out this meal nicely.