Creamy Mozzarella Pasta with Smoked Sausage - Italian style pasta dinner that looks good and tastes great! Short penne pasta with thinly sliced smoked sausage are smothered in a delicious creamy sauce made with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, half and half, and Mozzarella cheese.
This creamy sausage pasta is a great recipe to try with the savory smoked sausage.
The recipe easily feeds 4 people, or makes an easy weeknight dinner for two, with leftovers for next day's lunch.
What makes this smoked sausage pasta especially tasty is that first you cook sliced sausage for about 4 minutes, letting it release juices, and then you incorporate these juices into the creamy sauce, making the pasta dish spicier and more flavorful.
Creamy Mozzarella Pasta with Smoked Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 0.4 lb smoked sausage , sliced (I used Gyulai Smoked Sausage)
- ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes , without oil, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
- 8 oz penne pasta
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt to taste (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add sliced sausage, cook for 4 minutes, about 2 minutes on each side. Sausage will release its own juice. Remove sausage from the skillet.
- To the same skillet, add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and minced garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, constantly stirring.
- Add half and half. Bring to boil. Add cheese, reduce heat, and keep stirring until the cheese melts. Bring heat to medium, if needed, to melt the cheese, then reduce to simmer.
- Cook pasta, drain.
- Add cooked and drained pasta and sausage back to the skillet with the sauce. Stir. Add pepper flakes.
- Note: I did not have to add salt, as the smoked sausage is already salty and provides enough saltiness. Add salt to taste, if needed.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I needed a quick meal to make with my smoked sausage. I happily found this recipe! I didn’t have any half and half, so used Oat Milk. I also added some spinach. So delicious! I can’t wait to make it exactly like the recipe. So quick and easy too.
I forgot to leave my 5 stars.
Delish!
I accidentally used heavy cream
That should've worked just fine!
I am new to your fb page and I love everything so far!!
We love spicy and flavorful food. Trying very hard to substitute pasta with veggies. I LOVE pasta but my middles is aware of that truth! Ha!
Keep the recipes coming!
Laurie, thank you for such a heartwarming comment - it made me smile! 🙂 This recipe would be great with roasted spaghetti squash instead of pasta!
My picky 3 year old loved it! Minus the flakes for his bowl!
Sierra, I am so glad the recipe was enjoyed! 🙂 Thank you for the 5-star review!
I wanted to love this so bad but unfortunately I didn’t.
I couldn't open the jar of my Sun-dried tomatoes, so I substituted it with fresh tomatoes. I also added some spinach as I'm always trying to incorporate veggies into my kids food. The pasta tasted awesome. My daughter loved it. Thank you for this easy to cook & delicious recipe. Will definitely make again.
I am so glad you tried this recipe and loved it! Fresh tomatoes and spinach are a great addition! Thank you for this positive feedback and Happy Holidays! 🙂