This Creamy Sausage Pasta is exactly what I want after a long day of work and need something quick and delicious. It's all made in one pan, we fry off the sausage meat first, remove it, and then create the creamy sauce with lemon and thyme, and add in the spaghetti to let it cook in all of the juices. I hope you love it as much as I do!
I absolutely adore a creamy pasta and if you do too, you're in the right place because I have dozens of recipes. Some of my favorites are my creamy pesto pasta with meatballs, sundried tomato pasta, or my lemon boursin pasta.
If you want to have a browse though, feel free to check out my top 25 creamy pasta sauce recipes!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Made by someone you can trust: for those of you who are new here, my name's Emily and I'm an ex-chef, turned food content creator/recipe developer. I adore testing and creating new recipes and sharing them with you. I don't use AI, I take inspiration from magazines, travel, restaurants, books, friends, and turn my thoughts into dishes that I think you'll love and want to make over and over again. So, I hope you love this dish, if so, then check out more of my recipes to make in the future!
Easy: after a long day, there's nothing better than an easy pasta dish, and this creamy sausage pasta is all made in one pan and requires minimal effort.
One pan: as I said above, it's a one pan dish meaning minimal washing up. We fry off the sausage meat in the pan first, then remove it, leaving a fond which adds loads of flavor. We then create our creamy sauce, add in the spaghetti, and cook it in the pan with all the flavors. Lastly, we add back in the sausage meat and then serve up!
Ingredients and substitutions
Sausages: you can use any type of sausage you like; chorizo, chipolata, Cumberland...whatever you have on hand. Feel free to use ground pork or sausage meat or if you'd like or plant-based sausages if you're vegan. For a lower calorie option, I love Heck chicken sausages!
Paprika: this doesn't add heat, it just adds a bit of flavor. Feel free to use cayenne or ½ the amount of chili flakes.
Garlic: fresh garlic cloves add the best flavor.
Onion: white onion is what I've used, but feel free to use shallots or red onion if you like.
Chicken stock: homemade chicken broth or storebought chicken broth or chicken stock cubes will do! Use veggie stock if you're plant-based.
Cream: we're using light cream or single cream for this recipe because I don't feel like full-fat cream is necessary as we are cooking the pasta in the juices, we get that extra creaminess from the starchy pasta. Once again, for a plant-based or dairy-free option, I'd recommend using sugar-free soy cream.
Thyme: you can either use fresh thyme or dried thyme. Alternatively, you could use fresh parsley or oregano.
Lemon: this adds freshness. We use both the zest and the juice, so make sure to have a real fresh lemon.
Spaghetti: I'm using spaghetti, but you could use any pasta shape you like! Rigatoni, linguine, farfalle, or penne are great options.
Garnishes: chilli flakes, parmesan, squeeze of lemon. You could also add some finely chopped parsley.
The full list of ingredients and measurements is at the bottom of this blog, just scroll down to find the recipe card!
Step by step instructions with photos
Step 1: Place a deep skillet on medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, add in your sausages and break apart with a spatula into little pieces. Add in the paprika and stir to combine. Fry for around 8-10 minutes or until the sausage pieces are golden, slightly crispy, and cooked through.
Step 2: Transfer the sausage pieces from the pan to a plate and place the pan back on the heat with 100ml water. Using your spatula, scrape the base of the pan to get all that flavor (it's called a fond) off the base of the pan. Next up, add in the garlic and onion. Fry for 5 minutes until aromatic and softened.
Step 3: Once the water has evaporated, the onion and garlic are soft and aromatic and slightly caramelised, season with salt, pepper, thyme, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
Step 4: Add the chicken broth and cream to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add in the spaghetti. Season with salt, and cover the pan with a lid. Cook the pasta for around 10 minutes (check the packet instructions), stirring the pasta every 2-3 minutes so it doesn't stick to the base.
Step 5: After 8-10 minutes, your pasta should be al dente and the sauce should be very saucy. If it's looking a bit dry, add in a splash of water and give everything a good mix. If it's looking too saucy, don't worry, once we add in the sausage meat and leave it to simmer for a couple more minutes, it'll thicken.
Step 6: Add the sausage meat back into the pasta. Stir to combine and optionally add some water to loosen the sauce - or as I said in the previous step, if it's very saucy, leave to simmer for a couple of minutes longer until thickened.
Step 7: Divide your pasta into two bowls and top with chili flakes, grated parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon. There should be enough for leftovers! Enjoy!
FAQs
I reach for good-quality pork sausages and depending on the thickness of the casing, I either squeeze them out of the case or add the sausages straight to the pan and break them down with my wooden spatula. The paprika I add while frying deepens the color and flavor, so even a simple sausage tastes rich once it hits that creamy sauce.
You can, but here's the catch: the spaghetti cooks right in the sauce, so the liquid and timing are tuned to it. Short shapes like penne or rigatoni work well, just follow their packet cook time and add a little extra broth or water as needed so they cook through without drying out.
Usually it's heat. Boiling cream hard can cause it to separate, which is why this recipe brings it to a boil only briefly before dropping to a gentle simmer. If it does split, pull the pan off the heat and stir in a splash of water until it comes back together and turns glossy again.
Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The pasta will drink up the sauce as it sits, so it firms up overnight. Just reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave with a good splash of water or broth, stirring until it's creamy and loose again.
This one is best enjoyed fresh, since the sauce is at its silkiest right out of the pan. I don't recommend freezing it, as cream-based sauces tend to split and go grainy once thawed, and the spaghetti turns soft. If you need a head start, refrigerate it for a day or two instead.
More Pasta Recipes
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Creamy Sausage Pasta (One Pan)
Ingredients
- 300 g sausages
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried or fresh
- 1 lemon
- 600 ml chicken stock
- 300 ml cream single or light cream (you can totally use full fat if you like)
- 250 g spaghetti
Optional garnishes
- Chili flakes
- Parmesan grated
Instructions
- Place a deep skillet on medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Once hot, add in your sausages and break apart with a spatula into little pieces (or if the casing is thicker, squeeze out of their casings and break apart with a spatula). Add in the paprika and stir to combine.
- Fry for around 8-10 minutes or until the sausage pieces are golden, slightly crispy, and cooked through.
- Transfer the sausage pieces from the pan to a plate and place the pan back on the heat with 50-100ml water. Using your spatula, scrape the base of the pan to get all that flavor (it's called a fond) off the base of the pan. Next up, add in the garlic and onion. Fry for 5 minutes until aromatic and softened.
- Once the water has evaporated, the onion and garlic are soft and aromatic and slightly caramelised, season with salt, pepper, thyme, and lemon zest. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken broth and cream to the pan. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and add in the spaghetti. Season with salt, and cover the pan with a lid. Cook the pasta for around 10 minutes (check the packet instructions), stirring the pasta every 2-3 minutes so it doesn't stick to the base.
- After 8-10 minutes, your pasta should be al dente and the sauce should be very saucy. If it's looking a bit dry, add in a splash of water and give everything a good mix. If it's looking too saucy, don't worry, once we add in the sausage meat and leave it to simmer for a couple more minutes, it'll thicken.
- Add the sausage meat back into the pasta. Stir to combine and optionally add some water to loosen the sauce - or as I said in the previous step, if it's very saucy, leave to simmer for a couple of minutes longer until thickened.
- Divide your pasta into two bowls and top with chili flakes, grated parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!
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