Filled with the rich, savory flavors of spicy Italian sausage, fresh Campari tomatoes, garlic and white wine, my bistro sausage pasta is a cafe-inspired dish made easy in your own kitchen!
Bistro Sausage Pasta, a Little Taste of Romance
Call me a romantic, but the idea of sitting out on the patio of a really nice cafe on a cool evening, sipping wine and enjoying a bowl of gourmet pasta has always been incredibly appealing to me.
On those occasions when my husband and I have done just that, we've enjoyed ourselves immensely, taking pleasure in our conversation and in the delicious meal in front of us.
The kind of pasta dish that I typically find myself gravitating towards is a sausage pasta, one filled with spicy Italian sausage, a nice generous hint of wine, lots of garlic, vipe-ripened tomatoes, and perhaps a bit of crisp, green veg, keeping things nice and fresh and light.
I find those scrumptious flavors to be really clean yet exceptionally flavorful, and perfect with a slice of warm, rustic bread to dip into any remaining silky sauce leftover in the bottom of my bowl! 🙂
Whenever I prepare this bistro sausage pasta recipe at home, it never fails to transport me to my favorite romantic bistro... and that's a big part of what makes it so special for me!
Flavorful Ingredients for Exquisitely Delicious Sausage Pasta
A truly divine pasta dish has balance to it. It has some acidic, savory, rich and fresh elements, and this comforting and cozy pasta recipe has all of those.
The spicy sausage provides some richness, and the fresh Campari tomatoes, diced finely, have some acidity, as does the crisp white wine.
The generous amount of garlic has delectable earthy pungency (so needed in a pasta dish!), and the bite-size pieces of asparagus and baby spinach bring that bit of green and freshness.
I've brought all those flavorful ingredients together for an exquisitely delicious dish!
Here's a quick glance at my bistro sausage pasta recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe)
- To begin, I lightly blanch my asparagus pieces in boiling, salted and lemon-infused water, and then set aside.
- Next, I brown my crumbled sausage in a large pan, then drain that on a paper towel to absorb excess oil.
- Into that same pan I add all the aromatic ingredients that will make up my light and flavorful sauce, then I add into the pan the my veggies, the sausage along with my cooked pasta, plus a drizzle of good olive olive oil, and stir everything to combine.
- To finish, I sprinkle in a little fresh chopped parsley, spoon into bowls, and serve with parmesan on the side.
Recipe
Bistro Sausage Pasta
by Ingrid Beer
Category: Entree
Cuisine: Italian
Yield: Serves 4
Nutrition Info: 630 calories
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
• 6 ounces super thin asparagus, tough bottoms trimmed, and cut into small, bite-size pieces
• ½ lemon
• Olive oil
• 4 links spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 8 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 pound Campari tomatoes, diced small
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 8 ounces pasta of your choice, cooked according to package instructions (I used Montebello brand organic “Torchiette” shape pasta, found at Whole Foods Market)
• 1 tablespoon chopped, flat-leaf parsley
• Shaved Parmesan, if desired
- Add water to a small sauce pan, and add in the juice of half a lemon, plus enough salt to make the water taste salty; bring to the simmer, add the asparagus pieces in, and blanch for 30 seconds or just until crisp-tender; drain and plunge into ice water, then drain and set aside.
- Place a large, heavy bottom pan or skillet over medium-high heat, and drizzle in a small amount of the oil, about 1 to 2 tablespoons; once hot, crumble in the spicy sausage, and cook for a few minutes until browned and cooked through; remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on paper towel; set aside for a moment.
- Into the same pan, now on medium-low or low heat, add in the tablespoon of butter; once melted, add in the sliced garlic and saute for about 1-2 minutes, or just until aromatic and the slices soften and become golden-brown; add in the white wine, and allow it to sizzle up and slightly reduce, for about 1 minute, scraping up the those good brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Next add in the diced tomatoes, plus a couple of good pinches of salt and black pepper, and allow them to break down just a bit until they are slightly softened and juicy, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add to the tomatoes the asparagus and the spinach, and allow the spinach to wilt down, about 1 minute; add in the browned spicy sausage, stir to incorporate, and taste the sauce to see if more salt/pepper is needed; drizzle in a touch more olive oil to make the sauce glossy and rich, then add in your cooked pasta, and toss to combine with the sauce.
- Finish by sprinkling in the chopped parsley, and serve with a little parmesan, if desired.
Tips & Tidbits for my Bistro Sausage Pasta:
- Pick your pasta: While you can pretty much use any kind of pasta you like—penne, bow ties, even linguini—I love to use a cute little torch-shaped pasta called “Torchiette” by a brand called Montebello, which I get from Whole Foods Market.
- Spicy or even sweet sausage: Because I'm partial to spicy Italian sausage, I love to use that for this pasta recipe; but feel free to use sweet Italian sausage, which will work just as well! (You can even use ground pork and season it with fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper for similar flavor.)
- A hint of white wine for crispness: The white wine (such as sauvignon blanc) in this recipe give this sausage pasta dish a classic flavor, but you can leave it out if you prefer to go alcohol free. You can skip that step and go on with the next step.
- Freshly diced tomatoes, or canned: Fresh Campari tomatoes, those smaller, deeply red tomatoes, are my pick for this recipe, and I like them finely diced; but you can always sub good quality canned diced tomatoes instead.
- Prep ahead for easy sausage pasta: If you'd like to prep things a little ahead of time, you can prep the sauce up to point that you would add in the cooked pasta. Just allow things to cool, then keep in the fridge and reheat when ready to serve, and then add/stir in the cooked pasta.
Craving more pasta recipes? Check out these Italian “Drunken” Noodles, this Shrimp Scampi, this Cajun Shrimp Pasta, or this Bucatini Pasta with Garlic Butter!
Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2016, and has been updated with even more love!
Roseanne
How delicious this looks and sounds! It reminds me of my Italian grandmother's and mother's kitchens. I think I will have to make this soon.
Thanks for the inspiration, Ingrid. xox
The Cozy Apron
Roseanne, I sure do hope you find some comfort and sustenance in this recipe! I think you'll enjoy. 😉 So glad you came by to take a little peek, friend! Blessings to you...xoxo
Patricia
This recipe really looks and sounds fantastic. Can I serve it cold? I'm thinking of serving it as a summer dinner. Let me know your thoughts.
Thanks for your blog,
Patricia
The Cozy Apron
Hi Patricia, thank you for your question! Here's what I think: if there wasn't any sausage in this dish, then I'd easily say, "Yes! Of course! Serve cold..." But since it has the spicy Italian sausage, I'm not sure how appealing it would be if served cold. But, of course, this is entirely up to you. I think it'd be best experience hot and fresh out of the pan, but it may be "delicioso!" cold, as well. Either way, hope you enjoy!
Roseanne
Hi, Ingrid ~ I made this Friday night as I was having my parents over for dinner. This was DELICIOUS! I decided to sub green beans for the asparagus as, believe it or not, some don't care for it. I prepped a lot ahead of time (cooked up the sausage, steamed the green beans, prepped the garlic) as I knew the day was going to busy. It had just the right amount of liquid from the wine and tomatoes. It was pretty easy and everyone loved it. I know I'll be making it again....next time with the asparagus!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Roseanne, thrilled you all enjoyed! And good substitution with the green beans for those that don't care for the asparagus (though I'm glad you'll give that a try at some point, too). Thank you for sharing your experience with it!
Annette
Hi Ingrid! Just made this pasta dish!!! So delicious!!!! I'm of Italian decent and a pretty good cook from what my family tells me. We also dine out at some upscale Italian restaurants once in awhile. Surely this pasta tastes like it should be on the menu! So good!!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Annette, so happy you prepared this dish and enjoyed it! Thank you so much for your kind comments, and for sharing your experience with me.
Teri
Saw this dish on Instagram for "Pasta Day 2017" and immediately book marked it. Made it tonight and the whole family loved it! My daughter told me that if I made this once a week she'd be happy! Easy to make and comes together quickly. Love your recipes (not sure how I missed this when you originally posted it) but am especially fond of your "From the Heart" posts. Blessings to you and your family.
The Cozy Apron
Hi Teri, how wonderful you made this pasta recipe! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and I love it when the kids enjoy, too! Thank you so much for your kind words about the From The Heart posts; I'm grateful for your readership, and hope you continue to enjoy our recipes & posts. ❤️
Lauren
Made this tonight and absolutely loved it! Even my picky eater son ate every bite without a complaint. Definitely a recipe to keep!!
The Cozy Apron
Hi Lauren, that is great news! I'm so glad that both you and your "picky eater" enjoyed this pasta recipe—that's the best! Thank you for sharing your experience, and I hope you continue to get comfort and enjoyment out of the recipe.
Jane
Hi, do you have any alternative suggestions for the Campari tomatoes, such as fresh Vine tomatoes? I can't find the Campari variety where I live..
The Cozy Apron
Hi Jane, please feel free to use any tomatoes you like! Fresh vine tomatoes will be terrific.
I like the Campari only because they're a nice size, and loaded with sweet-savory flavor, plus juicy. So whatever fresh tomato you think will offer some good flavor, go for it!
Hope you enjoy the pasta! 🙂