Easy Pink Pasta with Sausage

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We all need easy meals in our arsenal that we can make without really thinking about it. Even better if it helps use up stuff in the fridge or doesn't require special ingredients. This easy pink pasta with sausage makes use of the partially used jar of marinara sitting in your fridge and adds some sneaky veggies for extra nutrients.

It whips together in 30 minutes and it's so easy to make, you might not even need the recipe after the first time. Everyone loves it, it's easily adaptable, and makes for great leftovers for lunch or a fast re-heat for dinner later in the week.

Easy Pink Pasta w/Sausage
Makes ~ 4 servings
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 25-30 minutes

**This recipe may include affiliate links for which I may be paid a commission for purchases made through the link.**

Click the file below to download and print the recipe

Easy Pink Pasta with Sausage.pdf

Download PDF • 207KB

I recommend reading the recipe all the way through, including the recipe notes at the bottom, before you start cooking.

Ingredients:

• 3/4lb. Italian sausage (bulk or links; hot or sweet) 

• 1/2lb. short-cut pasta of choice (I love Shellbows for this) 

• 1 TB tomato paste 

• 1 zucchini, shredded* 

• 2-4 oz. whipping cream** 

• ¼ C. grated parmesan cheese (more to taste) 

• ½ - ¾ jar of your favorite marinara*** 

• Red pepper flakes or Calabrian chilis to taste (optional) 

• 5-8 basil leaves sliced thing (optional) 

Directions:

• Heat a larger, high-sided pan over medium to medium-low heat and cook sausage, breaking up with the back of spoon until cooked through. Drain off excess fat if needed and return to pan. 

• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to the package on the instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water if pasta is done cooking before you’re ready to add it to the sauce. 

• To the pan with sausage, add the tomato paste and pepper flakes/Calabrian chilies (if using) and stir around for 1 minute, incorporating it into the sausage. Add the zucchini and a pinch of salt. Stir around for about 2 minutes until the zucchini is starting to soften and some of the moisture has cooked off. 

• Add the marinara and bring to a gentle simmer, reducing the heat if needed. 

• Once the sauce is hot, add the cream, starting with 2 ounces (1/4 cup). Stir and add more cream to get to the creaminess desired, up to 4 ounces (1/2 cup). 

• Add the pasta to the pan with the sausage along with the parmesan cheese. Stir to combine everything. Add 1 tablespoon of pasta water at a time to thicken the sauce, adding more as needed. Add more cheese if needed/desired. 

• Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed (likely will not need any). 

• Stir in the fresh basil, spoon into pasta bowls, and enjoy! 

*Recipe notes + Variations*

 *Don’t have or don’t like zucchini? Use spinach instead. Add the spinach at the same time as the cooked pasta. 

**I prefer to use regular whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream, but use whatever you want/have on hand. I have 2-4 oz. so you can determine the level of creaminess you want based on your own taste preferences. 

***The range is mostly in case you only have ½ a jar. Don’t fret—use what you have then add ½ cup of water to the jar, swish it around to get as much leftover sauce loose, then add that to the pan. 

The fresh basil is totally optional, but I highly recommend it if you have it on hand. I won’t go out of my way to purchase it when I don’t have a basil plant growing on my porch, but it does add a nice freshness at the end. 

The best method for adding pasta to a sauce is to strain it directly from the pasta water into the sauce using a spider. This inherently adds starchy pasta water to the sauce which helps thicken it and make it extra creamy, and you save yourself the hassle of walking to your sink with a big pot of water and draining into a colander.