Simple Marry Me Italian Sausage Pasta

Finding a weeknight dinner that’s both quick enough for a busy Tuesday and impressive enough to serve on date night can feel impossible. You want something that doesn’t require a million ingredients or complicated techniques, but still tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen, and let’s be honest, most of us just don’t have that kind of time.

That’s exactly why this Marry Me Italian Sausage Pasta has become my family’s go-to recipe: it comes together in about 30 minutes, uses simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store, and delivers a creamy, flavorful meal that’ll have everyone asking for seconds (and maybe even a marriage proposal, if the name is anything to go by).

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What Kind of Italian Sausage Should I Use?

You can use either sweet or spicy Italian sausage for this recipe, depending on your preference. Sweet Italian sausage will give you a milder, more traditional flavor, while hot Italian sausage adds an extra kick that pairs nicely with the crushed red pepper flakes. If you can only find links instead of loose sausage, no problem – just remove the casings before cooking. Some stores also carry a mild Italian sausage which sits right in the middle if you want flavor without too much heat.

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Options for Substitutions

This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to swaps, so here are some options if you need to make changes:

• Italian sausage: You can use either mild or spicy Italian sausage depending on your preference. If you don’t have sausage, ground beef or turkey works too – just add 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to make up for the flavor.
• Pasta: Any short pasta shape will work great here. Try penne, rigatoni, farfalle, or shells – they all hold the creamy sauce nicely.
• White wine: Don’t have wine on hand? Substitute with chicken or vegetable broth plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to keep that slight acidity.
• Heavy cream: For a lighter version, you can use half-and-half, though the sauce won’t be quite as thick. If you go this route, you might want to add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: Fresh cherry tomatoes (halved) or canned diced tomatoes can work in a pinch. Just drain them well and add them toward the end of cooking.
• Fresh basil: If you don’t have fresh basil, use 1 teaspoon of dried basil instead, adding it with the other dried seasonings rather than at the end.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake with this dish is draining all the fat after cooking the sausage, which can leave your sauce lacking flavor – instead, leave about a tablespoon in the pan to build a richer base for your cream sauce.

Another common error is adding the cornstarch slurry too late or all at once, so mix it with water beforehand and stir it in gradually while the sauce simmers to avoid lumps and achieve the perfect creamy consistency.

Don’t let the wine evaporate completely in step 4, as you want it to reduce by about half to keep some of that flavor while cooking off the alcohol, and be sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Finally, reserve about half a cup of pasta water before draining – if your sauce seems too thick when you toss everything together, a splash of that starchy water will help it coat the pasta beautifully.

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What to Serve With Marry Me Pasta?

This rich and creamy pasta is pretty filling on its own, but I love serving it with a simple side salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice to cut through all that creaminess. A basket of warm garlic bread or crusty Italian bread is perfect for mopping up the extra sauce – trust me, you won’t want to waste a single drop. If you’re feeding a crowd, roasted vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, or asparagus make a great addition to round out the meal. For something lighter, a Caesar salad or arugula salad with shaved parmesan works beautifully alongside this pasta.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce might thicken up a bit as it sits, but that’s totally normal with cream-based pasta dishes.

Freeze: You can freeze this pasta for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. Just know that cream sauces can sometimes separate a bit when frozen, but a good stir while reheating usually brings it back together.

Reheat: Warm it up on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of cream, milk, or pasta water to loosen the sauce. You can also microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one. Add a little extra parmesan and fresh basil on top to brighten it up!

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1700-1900
• Protein: 50-60 g
• Fat: 105-120 g
• Carbohydrates: 120-135 g

Ingredients

For the pasta:

• 8 oz De Cecco Penne Rigate
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

For the sauce:

• 12 oz Italian sausage, casings removed
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp Mutti tomato paste
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch strips
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful fresh basil, torn into small pieces

Step 1: Start the Pasta and Prepare Mise en Place

• 8 oz De Cecco Penne Rigate
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 tbsp Mutti tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the penne, stirring occasionally.

While the pasta cooks, mince the garlic and chop the sun-dried tomatoes into 1/4-inch strips.

Measure out the cream, wine, tomato paste, and have the oregano and red pepper flakes ready.

The pasta should take about 9-11 minutes to reach al dente; timing it to finish around the same time as your sauce will create the best final dish.

Step 2: Brown the Italian Sausage

• 12 oz Italian sausage, casings removed

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Remove the sausage from its casings and crumble it directly into the pan, breaking it into small, bite-sized pieces as it cooks.

Let it cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to develop color, then stir and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes until the meat is browned and cooked through.

Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan for building flavor.

Step 3: Build the Sauce Base with Aromatics and Wine

• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

In the same skillet with the reserved sausage fat, add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.

Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

This deglazing step captures all the savory flavors left behind from the sausage—I never skip it because it’s where so much of the dish’s depth comes from.

Step 4: Create the Cornstarch Slurry and Build the Cream Sauce

• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp Mutti tomato paste
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch strips
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

While the wine is reducing, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of water in a small bowl until smooth—this slurry will thicken the sauce beautifully without lumps.

Reduce the heat to medium and pour the heavy cream into the skillet.

Add the tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper flakes, stirring well to combine.

Then slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry while stirring constantly, cooking for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.

Step 5: Combine Sausage with Sauce and Season

• cooked sausage from Step 2
• sauce from Step 4
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Return the browned sausage from Step 2 to the skillet and stir it into the cream sauce.

Let everything simmer together for 1-2 minutes to meld the flavors.

Taste the sauce and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

I like to add just a tiny pinch of extra salt to make the richness really sing, but go easy—the pasta water and cheese will add saltiness too.

Step 6: Combine Pasta with Sauce and Finish

• cooked pasta from Step 1
• sausage and sauce from Step 5
• 1 handful fresh basil, torn into small pieces
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

Drain the cooked penne from Step 1 and add it directly to the skillet with the sausage cream sauce.

Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated, about 1 minute.

Divide the pasta among serving bowls, top with torn fresh basil and additional grated parmesan cheese, and serve immediately while the sauce is still creamy and warm.

Simple Marry Me Italian Sausage Pasta

Delicious Simple Marry Me Italian Sausage Pasta recipe with step-by-step instructions.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1800 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the pasta

• 8 oz De Cecco Penne Rigate
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

For the sauce

• 12 oz Italian sausage, casings removed
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tbsp Mutti tomato paste
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into 1/4-inch strips
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful fresh basil, torn into small pieces

Instructions

 

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the penne, stirring occasionally. While the pasta cooks, mince the garlic and chop the sun-dried tomatoes into 1/4-inch strips. Measure out the cream, wine, tomato paste, and have the oregano and red pepper flakes ready. The pasta should take about 9-11 minutes to reach al dente; timing it to finish around the same time as your sauce will create the best final dish.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the sausage from its casings and crumble it directly into the pan, breaking it into small, bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Let it cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to develop color, then stir and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes until the meat is browned and cooked through. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate, leaving about 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan for building flavor.
• In the same skillet with the reserved sausage fat, add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the white wine and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. This deglazing step captures all the savory flavors left behind from the sausage—I never skip it because it's where so much of the dish's depth comes from.
• While the wine is reducing, whisk together the cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of water in a small bowl until smooth—this slurry will thicken the sauce beautifully without lumps. Reduce the heat to medium and pour the heavy cream into the skillet. Add the tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and red pepper flakes, stirring well to combine. Then slowly whisk in the cornstarch slurry while stirring constantly, cooking for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
• Return the browned sausage from Step 2 to the skillet and stir it into the cream sauce. Let everything simmer together for 1-2 minutes to meld the flavors. Taste the sauce and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. I like to add just a tiny pinch of extra salt to make the richness really sing, but go easy—the pasta water and cheese will add saltiness too.
• Drain the cooked penne from Step 1 and add it directly to the skillet with the sausage cream sauce. Toss everything together until the pasta is evenly coated, about 1 minute. Divide the pasta among serving bowls, top with torn fresh basil and additional grated parmesan cheese, and serve immediately while the sauce is still creamy and warm.