Spicy Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta

This lightened up Italian pasta is loaded with flavor with just the right amount of heat! It’s easy to make and perfect for a simple weeknight meal!

This pasta has it all loves! It’s spicy, hearty, full of rich bold tomato-y flavor and yet is still creamy beyond belief! (Needless to say, it’s by far one of my most favorite pasta dishes to date.) Which is probably why I love making it whenever we have company over…and the fact that it’s so easy to make too! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a large sauce pan and you’re all set for a delicious Italian meal! So let’s get to cooking some spicy Italian chicken sausage pasta!

(P.S. Don’t forget the garlic bread! 😉 )

Ingredients

• Bowtie pasta: I LOVE using bowtie pasta for this recipe because it really soaks up the sauce and stands up well to the hardiness of the sauce.
• Italian chicken sausage: I used hot Italian chicken sausage, NOT sweet sausage and bought it in bulk form. (You can also use turkey or pork sausage too.) If you can’t find bulk sausage then you can always buy sausage links and squeeze the ground meat out of the casing instead.
• Red onion: You can use white or yellow onion instead too.
• Garlic: Adds so much flavor! (And let’s be honest, what Italian dish doesn’t require garlic?! 😉 )
• Crushed tomatoes: Makes up the basis of the sauce.
• Heavy whipping cream: Helps to cut down on the spice and adds so much creaminess to the dish! (I made mine dairy free too! Check out some dairy free substitutions below.)
• Dried seasonings: I used a mixture of dried basil and parsley with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes to give the sauce a little kick. You can definitely use more or less of each seasoning depending on your own personal preference.

Can I use a different type of pasta?

Absolutely! I personally love bowtie (or farfalle) pasta in general so it’s always my go to. But almost any other type of past would work for this recipe too! Penne, rotini or even angel hair would be amazing with this too!

*Need a gluten free option? Just use your favorite gluten free pasta!

Heavy Whipping Cream Substitutes

When I originally created this recipe wayy back when, I used regular heavy whipping cream. But then I met Charlie and well…anything involving cream or anything dairy basically went out the window. (He’s lactose intolerant.😲) So I’ve made this pasta a few different ways since then with various dairy free products and found that each of them had their own pros and cons.

• Dairy free heavy whipping cream: Came out exactly like the original! If I had to nit-pick though, the sauce is a touch sweeter because of what was used to make the cream. But the spice really helps to cover up the sweetness so you can hardly taste it at all!
• Unsweetened almond milk: The sauce will come out a little “looser” and won’t have as much creaminess to it like the original recipe. (It still tastes amazing though!)
• No cream: All the flavor is still there but the sauce is VERY thick. If you don’t mind a thick sauce with your pasta then definitely give this a try. (I also thought it was a little too tomato-y but Charlie really liked it that way.)

Can I freeze this pasta?

Yes! I would suggest only freezing the sauce though because the pasta can become a little “mushy” after it’s been thawed. All you need to do is make up your sauce and let it cool completely. Then pour it into a large plastic bag (we’ll usually double bag it) and place it in the freezer until you’re ready to eat it.

• To reheat your pasta: Simply take the bag out of the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature. Then pour the sauce into a pot and heat it over medium heat until hot. Cook up some pasta in the meantime and toss the pasta in your sauce as soon as it’s ready!

I hope you all enjoy this spicy Italian chicken sausage pasta recipe!

More recipes like this:

• Pasta with Vodka Sauce
• Everything But The Bagel Pasta
• Easy Lemon Basil Pasta Salad
• Italian Turkey Meatballs with Homemade Marinara Sauce

[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]