Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta

This is a simple one-pot pasta that comes together in ~20 minutes. I use hot Italian sausage and mascarpone which makes the sauce rich without being too heavy.

June Arthurs

January 22, 2026

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Ingredients (~6 servings)

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp salted butter, divided
2 shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1 1/2 lbs hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
12 oz tomato paste
2 cups reserved pasta water
3/4 cup mascarpone, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
18 oz pasta (penne or rigatoni work well)
Kosher salt
Fresh basil leaves for serving

Cook the Pasta and Reserve Water

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and season liberally with kosher salt – it should taste like seawater.

Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, about 1-2 minutes less than the package directions.

Before draining, reserve 2 cups of the starchy pasta water – this is what makes the sauce creamy and helps it stick to the pasta.

Drain the pasta and set aside. You can toss it with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.

Brown the Aromatics and Sausage

In a large skillet, melt 1 Tbsp of butter with the olive oil over medium heat.

Add the minced shallots, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic; cook for ~2-3 minutes, stirring frequently until the shallots are softened and fragrant.

Add the Italian sausage and use a wooden spoon to break it up into bite-sized pieces. Cook until deeply browned, ~6-8 minutes.

The sausage should have good color on it – don’t rush this step as the browning adds flavor to the sauce.

Build the Tomato Base

Once the sausage is browned, add the tomato paste and cook for ~3-4 minutes, stirring constantly.

The tomato paste will darken to a deep red color and start to caramelize slightly – this concentrates the flavor.

Add the reserved pasta water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Let this simmer for ~3-4 minutes until it reduces and thickens slightly.

Finish the Sauce and Combine

Stir in the mascarpone, remaining tablespoon of butter, and heavy cream until smooth.

The sauce should be creamy but not too thick – add more pasta water if needed.

Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss everything together with tongs.

Stir in the parmesan cheese and cook for ~2-3 minutes until the cheese melts and the pasta is well coated.

Season with salt to taste and serve immediately, topped with extra parmesan and torn fresh basil leaves.