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Home » Recipes » 30-Minute Meals

Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta

By Erin · October 5, 2020 · Updated September 27, 2021 · 30 Comments

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rigatoni in a dutch oven
pasta in a dutch oven
pasta with sausage

Pasta, chicken sausage and peas all coated in a creamy, spicy sauce is what this Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta is all about! The best part is that it's ready in under 25 minutes, and it's still delicious the next day. 

pasta and sausage in a skillet

Besides my lentil bolognese, this chicken sausage pasta might be my favorite pasta recipe on my site.

You know I'm a huge fan of recipes that use sausage. There's my one pot gnocchi with sausage, my spicy sausage potato soup and my chorizo sweet potato soup, all of which are reader favorites. Well, this pasta lightens it up just a bit by using chicken sausage -- so good!

If you need a quick weeknight meal the whole family will love, this is it!

pasta ingredients on a table

Ingredient notes

  • Pasta - any kind; can use regular or gluten free pasta
  • Chicken sausage - preferably Italian, but can also use andouille or any kind other than apple
  • Marinara sauce - use your favorite kind! Traditional, tomato basil, arrabbiata, etc.
  • Milk - dairy or dairy-free. I used oat milk and it worked great.
  • Heavy cream - can sub half and half or omit altogether. If you omit, use extra milk instead.

Method

First: Cook the pasta in a saucepan as you normally would.

Second: Cook chicken sausage in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium heat. Once it's cooked, add the butter and garlic and sauté for one minute.

Third: Lower the heat, then add the marinara sauce, milk, cream, peas, and red pepper flakes and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the peas are cooked. Top the whole dish with parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and dig in!

sausage in a skilelt

Notes

  • Don't want to use heavy cream? Try using half and half instead.
  • Gluten free pasta works great in this recipe.
  • Top the whole thing off with shaved parmesan, goat cheese or even burrata.

Can I reheat this dish?

Of course! You can easily place it in the microwave, but personally, I think the sauce maintains its flavor and texture a bit better if it's reheated in a skillet.

What sides go well with this meal?

Technically, this is a one pan kind of meal, since it includes pasta, sausage and peas. But, if you want an additional side, you could try my roasted carrots with pesto or my easy fried brussels sprouts.

pasta, peas and sausage in a skillet

More pasta recipes

  • Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Squash Pasta
  • Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
  • Vodka Rigatoni

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!

pasta, peas and sausage in a skillet

Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta

Pasta, chicken sausage and peas all coated in a creamy, spicy sauce is what this Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta is all about! The best part is that it's ready in under 25 minutes, and it's still delicious the next day. 
4.91 from 32 votes
Print Pin Rate
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Author: Erin

Ingredients

  • 12 oz. pasta
  • 2 links chicken sausage Italian or spicy
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 24 oz. marinara sauce favorite kind
  • ½ cup milk any kind
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 2 cups frozen peas
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or more
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • ½ cup parmesan optional

Instructions

  • Cook pasta in a saucepan as you normally would.
  • In a separate large skillet or dutch oven, cook the chicken sausage with the olive oil over medium heat.
  • Next, add the butter and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Then, reduce heat to medium-low and add the marinara sauce, milk, cream, peas, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper; stir to combine.
  • Bring mixture to a low simmer and simmer for 2-3 minute or until peas are cooked. Remove from heat, then add parmesan cheese.
  • Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine. Top with more parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Video

Notes

*Calories are per serving and are an estimation
*Want this to be spicy? Use andouille chicken sausage, arrabbiata sauce and add an extra teaspoon of red pepper flakes 

Nutrition

Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 1338mg | Potassium: 845mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1838IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 244mg | Iron: 4mg
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag me Today!Leave a comment below and tag @thealmondeater on Instagram!

UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2014. It was updated with new text and photos in October 2020.

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About Erin

Erin is the recipe developer, writer and photographer behind the healthy food blog, The Almond Eater. She's been blogging since 2014 and loves to create food for many different diets, including vegan, gluten free and/or Whole30 recipes.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisalen says

    February 14, 2023 at 8:23 am

    3 stars
    The ratios in this recipe are off. I used 4 chicken sausage and 1 1/2 cups of peas. There were way too many peas and way too much sauce in relation to pasta and sausage. The flavor was good, but I would bump the recipe up with more vegetables, maybe zucchini, broccoli and spinach.

    Reply
  2. Andy says

    January 18, 2023 at 10:53 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
  3. Rjam says

    December 22, 2022 at 10:44 am

    This was a big hit with my family. I did omit the red peppers and let people add them because I cook for some who can’t have them. I used peas but may try spinach next time. I had leftover chicken pesto sausages and they worked perfectly. The sauce combination was perfect and I used oat milk for my milk portion with heavy cream.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      December 22, 2022 at 6:52 pm

      YUM! Love the sound of using pesto chicken sausages. Glad everyone liked the recipe!

      Reply
  4. Cyndi says

    April 23, 2022 at 12:35 am

    5 stars
    Thank you Erin! Absolutely delicious. My husband needs low sodium dishes and I made this with reduced sodium sausage and pasta sauce. It was absolutely delicious and with the spice we did not even miss the sodium. We will definitely have this again.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 23, 2022 at 10:06 am

      This makes me happy to hear -- I'm glad you both liked the pasta!

      Reply
  5. Gemma Spooner says

    April 18, 2022 at 12:07 pm

    5 stars
    Really tasty and easy dish to make for all the family

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 18, 2022 at 2:06 pm

      Thanks for the review -- I'm glad everyone enjoyed the pasta!

      Reply
  6. Margaret says

    March 14, 2022 at 10:34 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! I had left over spinach and grape tomatoes, so I used those instead of peas ( before they went bad). My husband and kids all loved it!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 15, 2022 at 1:50 pm

      Happy to hear the whole family approved 🙂 Thanks for the comment!

      Reply
  7. Anamit Sen says

    March 01, 2022 at 11:46 am

    4 stars
    So glad to find a recipe for chicken sausages!! While I love pork and beef, as a renal patient on dialysis I am not allowed to eat them any more. I look forward to recipes with chicken...however I have to stay away from tomatoes as well as...what can I substitute the marinara sauce with?🤔

    Reply
    • Erin says

      March 01, 2022 at 11:57 am

      Hi! Great question -- if you can't do anything tomato-based, I might suggest pesto. I have a kale pesto recipe, though if you don't love kale you could always sub spinach. Here's the link to the pesto if you want to give that a try: https://thealmondeater.com/kale-pesto/

      Reply
  8. Lindsay says

    January 31, 2022 at 10:09 am

    5 stars
    I made this with almond milk and dairy free heavy cream so my milk allergy son could eat it. It was absolutely excellent. 3 kids ate it all up and Mom and Dad loved it. Was a perfect Sunday meal and loved that it converted over to dairy free flawlessly. Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      February 01, 2022 at 6:29 am

      I'm so happy your son was able to enjoy this recipe and that the whole family approved!

      Reply
  9. Jess says

    January 25, 2022 at 2:46 pm

    5 stars
    I made this dish, tweaked it just a bit with my homemade tomato sauce. But oh my!! How delicious!! This will be a definite dish in my rotation of recipes for the family. Love it!!

    Reply
    • Erin says

      January 27, 2022 at 8:05 am

      This makes me so happy! Glad it'll be making it into your recipe rotation 🙂

      Reply
  10. Allison says

    December 09, 2021 at 1:00 pm

    Can I freeze this? If so, any tips or changes that need to be made?

    Reply
    • Erin says

      December 09, 2021 at 1:17 pm

      Yep! No changes need to be made, but I would store the cooked pasta in a baking dish with a lid so it's easier to reheat in the oven when you want to eat it.

      Reply
  11. Kensey says

    October 18, 2021 at 3:32 pm

    I'd love to make this but I'm really not a fan of frozen peas so I don't have any. Can I sub for canned or use a different vegetable? I'm thinking no on the canned because they'd get mushy.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      October 18, 2021 at 3:48 pm

      Good question! You're right -- I wouldn't use canned peas. Maybe try spinach or kale, or even zucchini or asparagus would work well too.

      Reply
  12. Megan says

    July 30, 2021 at 9:57 pm

    I love this recipe, thank you!

    Reply
  13. Laura Beth says

    June 06, 2021 at 7:49 pm

    This would be delicious over rice as well. Use pre-cooked frozen rice to make it even quicker.

    Reply
  14. Christopher Cahillane says

    April 17, 2021 at 10:43 pm

    5 stars
    Easy to make. Very flavorful. Used half and half as opposed to heavy cream, and came out perfect. This recipe will be going into our heavy rotation.

    Reply
    • Erin says

      April 18, 2021 at 8:57 am

      Thanks Chris -- so glad you liked the recipe!

      Reply
  15. Cheryl Ford says

    March 18, 2021 at 10:17 am

    5 stars
    This recipe was easy to make, using common ingredients I already had available. I used half and half instead of heavy cream but the texture was still creamy. This is an easy week-day recipe to make because you make everything in one pan. It's simple but delicious. I know I will be making this recipe often as it was a favorite of my husband's as well!

    Reply
  16. Lorrie Roa says

    November 16, 2019 at 5:27 am

    This looks fantastic. I love that you added spinach into this classic dish. I can never say no to fettuccine alfredo, so I know I would devour this all in no time!
    Spinach and alfredo go so well together and the fact that you lightened it up makes it so much better. Fettuccine Alfredo is a favorite of my children! I love how you used greek yogurt in your alfredo sauce! Beats the stuff in a jar with ingredients ten fold! I love the fact that your fettuccine alfredo has spinach. This looks so easy to make!

    Reply
  17. Davida @ The Healthy Maven says

    October 11, 2013 at 6:04 am

    Hope everything goes well at the doc! I quite literally feel your pain. Sending you oodles of hugs and smiles 🙂

    I love any pasta dish with pesto and shrimp!

    Reply
    • TheAlmondEater says

      October 11, 2013 at 4:43 pm

      Thanks girl. Hugging you back through the blog! We must remember this pain is only temporary.

      Reply
  18. Jessie says

    October 10, 2013 at 11:19 pm

    I've never been or heard of Buca Di Beppo before, but this recipe sounds incredible. I don't eat sausage, but I love the twist of substituting shrimp instead.

    Hope your chiropractor appointment went well today <3

    Reply
    • TheAlmondEater says

      October 11, 2013 at 4:42 pm

      Thank you! I actually had X rays taken and should get results by Monday so we'll see!

      Reply

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I share recipes for ALL diet types because I believe that healthy food should be incredibly delicious without being complicated. Learn more

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