This creamy sausage pasta is the dinner I make when I want comfort food that tastes like a splurge but comes together in one skillet. You are going to fall in love with the combination of garlic sausage, pasta, and roasted garlic in a creamy three-cheese sauce. It's rich enough that a side salad makes it a full meal, and it's been on my regular rotation for years.
I think most every cook has their go-to dishes. The ones that you make over and over again when you are craving a delicious meal that you know will be good.
For the past several years, this Creamy Roasted Garlic Sausage Pasta has been a recipe I have turned to again and again, whenever I was craving comfort food.
I am obsessed with this dish for a lot of reasons. One of them is that I love the intense sweetness that develops when garlic is slowly roasted. It loses most of its pungency, and develops a sweeter aroma. Combine it with a cheesy creamy sauce, and you've got something special.
This Creamy Sausage Garlic Pasta can be just as indulgent as you like. You can make it with heavy cream, half-and-half or whole milk. Feel free to play with the amount of cheese, and even switch up the cheeses that you use.
The splash of white wine is worth it. It lifts the cream sauce with a little acidity so all that cheese doesn't sit heavy. It cooks off, so it's about the flavor, not the alcohol. Leave it out and add a squeeze of lemon at the end if you'd rather.
Tips for Making This Garlic Sausage Pasta Recipe:
- I always keep roasted garlic in my freezer so that I have it on hand for dishes like this one. If you don't have time to roast the garlic, feel free to substitute 1 - 2 teaspoons of minced garlic.
- Don't forget to salt the pasta water when cooking.
- Leftovers are good for two or three days. I recommend reheating in either the oven or stove top, and adding a touch of milk or cream if necessary. I often use fresh almond flour pasta to make this, and should note that fresh pasta tends to get mushy the next day. It isn't a problem for us because with teenage boys, leftovers of this recipe aren't really a thing.
More Pasta Recipes To Try
Creamy Skillet Garlic Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 heads garlic
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 pound smoked garlic sausage like Aidells, sliced
- 2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes halved
- ¼ cup white wine optional
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- 8 ounces Gruyere Cheese shredded (divided)
- 4 ounces Parmesan Cheese shredded (divided)
- 3 ounces goat cheese crumbled
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 12 ounces fettuccine cooked according to package directions
Instructions
Roast the Garlic
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Slice about a quarter inch off the top of each head, just enough that the cloves peek out. Set the heads cut-side up on a piece of foil. Drizzle each with a teaspoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt, then wrap the foil into a little pouch. Roast for 40 minutes. You want the cloves soft, deep gold, and sweet-smelling. Let them cool until you can handle them. Squeeze from the bottom and the cloves slide right out.
Sauce
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from skillet. Add tomatoes and cook for three minutes.
- Add garlic and cook 30 more seconds. Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and scraping up the browned bits.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and then add the cream. Cook over medium-low heat for 4 minutes, stirring often.
- Add 6 ounces Gruyere, 3 ounces Parmesan, goat cheese, salt, and pepper. Cook until cheese is melted.
- Stir in cooked pasta and sausage. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve warm.
- To make ahead, transfer to a casserole dish and top with cheese. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes.
Mardene Carr says
I like foods that look attractive and this one fits the bill to a tee