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 - 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.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 0.4 lb smoked sausage , sliced (I used Gyulai Smoked Sausage)
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes , without oil, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 1/2 cups half and half
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese , shredded
- 8 oz penne pasta
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- salt to taste (optional)
- 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.
WHAT IS HALF AND HALF? Half and half is half milk half cream. To make 1 cup of half and half, combine 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
The first time I made this,I doubled it for my family and since I didn’t have sun-dried tomatoes, I subbed a can of Italian diced tomatoes which worked well. The second time I made it, I used the sun-dried tomatoes which was also really good, but I’m much less likely to have on hand for a quick weeknight meal.
I like the idea of adding asparagus or spinach. I’ll have to try that next time.
I thought that it was going to be stringy with the mozzerella but it wasn’t. Next time I will add more garlic. I also added Texas sweet onion and got some fresh basil from my garden. Everyone loved it! Certainly a keeper recipe!
What kind of Mozzarella? Fresh mozzarella or can it be the pre shredded in a bag?
Made this last night and the whole family loved it! I used about a pound and a half of kielbasa and I subbed the mozzarella for some Monterrey jack I had on hand. Added some asparagus I chopped and sautéed after the sausage and then at the end I added a ginormous mound of spinach and let it wilt with the residual heat after everything was done cooking. It was a huge hit! Definitely making it again and again.
I love this recipe…super easy… i made it today … the only thing i did different was add spinach to it… it was amazing… I cannot wait to try to make another one… thank you
Making this tonight. Spinach would be great!!
My hubby snacked on half the meat and sauce before the pasta even went in will DEFINITELY be making again for the whole family! Kiddos inhaled it!
Family big eaters, what could I add as a side?
I made a double batch & served with a salad & garlic bread soooooo delicious & there were leftovers for lunch next day
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Serving this with the salad and garlic bread sounds delicious!
You could add roasted asparagus, roasted broccoli. Serve simple spinach or arugula salad. Garlic bread is good, too.