Description
A hearty and flavorful Italian-inspired pasta dish featuring sweet Italian sausage, tender peas, and creamy tomato sauce tossed with orecchiette pasta. This recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight meal that combines savory sausage, sweet peas, and a touch of cream with the satisfying bite of al dente pasta.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound dry orecchiette pasta (or short pasta of your choice)
Sauce and Sausage Mixture
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- â…› teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup frozen sweet baby peas, thawed
- â…“ cup heavy cream
For Serving
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté Onion and Sausage: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and sausage (with casings removed). Sauté, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is fully cooked and no pink remains and the onions have softened, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 20 seconds until fragrant. Drain off any excess fat from the pan.
- Season and Simmer: Season the sausage mixture with dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Add the canned diced tomatoes with their liquid and the chicken broth. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Add Peas and Cream: Stir in the thawed sweet baby peas along with the heavy cream. Mix well and warm through for a couple of minutes, making sure the peas are heated and the sauce is creamy.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta back to the pot or transfer the sausage mixture to the pasta pot, then toss together until the pasta is fully coated with the sausage and pea sauce.
- Serve: Ladle the pasta into shallow bowls and garnish generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture.
Notes
- You can substitute the orecchiette with any short pasta like penne, rigatoni, or shells.
- For a spicier dish, increase the crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
- If you prefer a lighter cream sauce, you can reduce the heavy cream or substitute with half-and-half.
- Make sure not to overcook the pasta; al dente texture works best to hold the sauce.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
