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Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta

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This Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta is easy – and reminds me of something you would get at an Italian restaurant. Our family loves it … and I hope yours does too!

italian sausage and bow tie pasta recipe in bowl

Click HERE to pin this recipe

Brian and I had our first “date” at Olive Garden. At the time, Brian lived out of town so he had a little further to go to get to that Olive Garden than I did. Or so I thought. I arrived early and decided to sit in my car and wait for him to arrive (which wasn’t a long wait). We were talking to each other on the phone while he was driving into town … and I guess he missed the part about telling me he was in the parking lot – because he kind of snuck up on me … and gave me a mini heart attack by knocking on my window.

After giving him a hard time, we went inside and enjoyed a nice meal together … and talked a lot! I absolutely love that we can talk for hours and hours …. and we have the cell phone bills to prove it. ?

Towards the end of the date, when they bring the check – they also bring you those little Andes mints. I may have flicked one of those mints at him (imagine elementary school – when you flicked the paper football through your friend’s hands that were the “uprights”) which totally caught him off guard. He had no idea it was coming and it hit him in the chest. The look on his face was priceless. I like to believe that’s when we both knew it was love. ? He also learned a very important lesson that day about his future wife – always expect the unexpected! And sometimes, I play too much! ? Hehehe.

Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta

My husband loves Italian food. It’s probably his favorite. From time to time, I like to surprise him with dishes I know he’ll like. This Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta is an easy one! It reminds me of something you would get at an Italian restaurant.

Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta is full of perfectly cooked pasta in a creamy tomato sauce with plenty of chopped spinach and chunks of spicy or sweet Italian sausage. It’s bound to be a new family favorite.

Recipe for Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta

Here’s everything I used to make this Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta:

** Ingredients are at a glance. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full amounts and printable recipe. **

  • bow tie pasta
  • olive oil
  • Italian sausage
  • red pepper flakes
  • onion
  • garlic
  • Italian-style plum tomatoes
  • heavy cream
  • spinach
  • fresh parsley
italian sausage and bow tie pasta in pan

How to make Bow Tie Pasta and Italian Sausage recipe:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions; drain.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet add the olive oil then cook and crumble the sausage and red pepper flakes over medium-high heat until cooked through and browned. Add onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is tender. Add the tomatoes and heavy cream. Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

A few tips for Italian Sausage with Bow Tie Pasta:

  • Use whatever kind of Italian sausage you prefer – mild, sweet, or hot. You can even use turkey Italian sausage if you prefer! I usually use mild because of personal preference.
  • If you buy the Italian sausage with casings, be sure to cut the casings open and use the ground meat.
  • No heavy cream? For every 1 cup of heavy cream, melt 1/4 cup of butter and slowly whisk in 3/4 cup milk. This works for most recipes that require heavy cream, but it will not whisk into stiff peaks.
  • Leftovers are great reheated for lunch the next day!
closeup of Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta in bowl

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Yield: 4-6 servings

Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta

italian sausage with bow tie pasta recipe

This Italian Sausage Bow Tie Pasta is easy - and reminds me of something you would get at an Italian restaurant. Our family loves it … and I hope yours does too!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 pkg. (12 oz.) bow tie pasta
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 lb. mild Italian sausage, casings removed
  • 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1/2 cup diced onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 can (28 oz.) Italian-style plum tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
  • 1-1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup packed spinach leaves, cut into thin strips
  • Fresh parsley, minced (optional)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet add the olive oil then cook and crumble the sausage and red pepper flakes over medium-high heat until cooked through and browned. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender. Add the tomatoes and heavy cream. Simmer until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Add the spinach and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Notes

  • Use whatever kind of Italian sausage you prefer – mild, sweet, or hot. You can even use turkey Italian sausage if you prefer! I usually use mild because of personal preference.
  • If you buy the Italian sausage with casings, be sure to cut the casings open and use the ground meat.
  • Leftovers are great reheated for lunch the next day!


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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 623Total Fat: 54gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 606mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 2gSugar: 5gProtein: 19g

Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary greatly between brands. Always be sure to read labels.

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© Jamie Sherman
Cuisine: Italian / Category: Pasta

 

Originally published on September 6, 2012. Updated on May 9, 2020.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  7. Miz Helen

    Hi Jamie,
    I will just love this dish, it has a great flavor combination. Hope you are having a fabulous weekend and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

    • Jamie

      For every 1 cup of heavy cream, melt 1/4 cup of butter and slowly whisk in 3/4 cup milk. This works for most recipes that require heavy cream, but it will not whisk into stiff peaks.

      Reply

  21. Kim

    This was delicious! I didn’t have heavy cream so I used 1/4 c of butter and 1 1/4 c Half n half. I used fire roasted diced tomatoes. Didn’t think it would be tasty but it was. Simple recipe. Thanks

    Reply

  22. Janel

    This was delicious! Super easy and looks like an elegant dish. I couldn’t find the Italian style plum tomatoes so I used cans of diced basil/garlic/oregano tomatoes. And also topped it off with shredded Parmesan cheese. My family absolutely loved this. Thanks so much!

    Reply

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Love Bakes Good Cakes delivers delicious and simple family-friendly meals. Find everything from healthier recipes to over the top desserts!