Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta in a Mascarpone Sauce

This Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta is served in a Sun Dried Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta Sauce – An absolute show stopper of a pasta dish which is SO easy to make!

Sun Dried Tomato Paste

This dish is loaded to the brim with flavour. No false promises! One of the key ingredients is sun dried tomatoes. They’ve got a really intense flavour that lends itself so well to both sausage and pasta.

To get the party started we’re going to create a flavour base, by blitzing together sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil and chicken stock. This will give the sauce a really deep and tangy flavour.

Process shots: add sun dried tomatoes, basil and stock to food processor (photo 1), blitz until well blended (photo 2).

Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta

The sausage is the heart and soul of this dish. I originally tested this with beef and it just didn’t compare to the rich flavours of sausage.

What kind of Sausage to use?

You’ll want to get regular ground sausage meat. NOT ground pork (much less flavoursome than sausage meat). If you can’t find ground sausage meat just squeeze the meat from some good quality neutral flavoured sausages.

Mascarpone

Instead of adding cream to this sauce, I love using mascarpone. It’s got slightly more flavour than cream and mellows out the powerful sun dried tomato flavour so beautifully. It’s also obviously much thicker than cream, so you won’t need to simmer and thicken it.

Tomato Puree

Aka ‘Tomato Paste’ in the US. This serves two purposes. The first is to add a further tomato depth of flavour to the pasta. The second is to add colour. It’s important to fry the tomato puree so it turns a little sweet, then deglaze with the sauce. The difference between cooked and ‘raw’ tomato puree is quite significant!

Process shots: fry onion (photo 1), fry garlic (photo 2), add sausage (photo 3), fry then stir in tomato puree (photo 4), stir in sun dried tomato paste (photo 5), stir in mascarpone (photo 6).

Starchy Pasta Water

This is what’s going to create the sauce and turn it extra creamy. By adding pasta water to the mix, you allow the starch molecules to emulsify with the fat and create a thick and creamy sauce. Important to heavily season the pasta water with salt (so it doesn’t dilute the flavour of the sauce) and use it after the pasta has cooked (so it’s extra starchy – don’t scoop straight after adding pasta).

What’s the best pasta to use?

I absolutely love using rigatoni because the hole is quite large it’s quite often that sauce/sausage will gather in there, which is just the best. I tend to stay away from longer cuts of pasta because it tends to bring with it the comparison to a bolognese.

Process shots: toss in cooked pasta with pasta water (photos 1&2), toss in parmesan (photos 3&4).

Serving Sausage Pasta

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! I recommend just saving a cup of starchy pasta water to thin out. Just reheat on stove, using pasta water to thin out as needed until piping hot. You can also freeze this and thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove.

What can I serve with this?

I find it’s hearty and filling as it is, but you could consider any of the following:

• Roasted Garlic Bread
• Cheesy Garlic Bread
• Garlic Butter Potato Skins
• Feta Bruschetta

Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full creamy tomato sausage pasta recipe shall we?!

How to make Creamy Tomato Sauce Pasta (Full Recipe & Video)

5 from 3 votes

Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta in a Mascarpone Sauce

By: Chris Collins

This Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta is served in a Sun Dried Tomato and Mascarpone Pasta Sauce - An absolute show stopper of a pasta dish which is SO easy to make!

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 20 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

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Equipment

• Large Deep Pan & Wooden Spoon
• Large Pot & Colander or Slotted Spoon (see notes)
• Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
• Food Processor
• Fine Cheese Grater

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 14 oz / 400g Ground Sausage (see notes)
• ▢ 12oz / 350g Rigatoni, or short cut pasta of choice
• ▢ 5oz / 150g Sun Dried Tomatoes save 1 tbsp of oil
• ▢ 5oz / 150g Mascarpone
• ▢ 1oz / 30g / 1/3 cup Freshly Grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve if desired
• ▢ 1/2 cup / 120ml Chicken Stock, preferably low sodium
• ▢ 1 tbsp Tomato Puree (tomato paste in US)
• ▢ 1 small bunch of Fresh Basil
• ▢ 1 medium Onion, finely diced
• ▢ 1 tsp Garlic, finely diced (approx 1 large clove)
• ▢ finely diced Fresh Parsley, to serve
• ▢ Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
• ▢ 1-2 cups Starchy Pasta Water (see method & notes)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

• In a food processor, pulse the sun dried tomatoes, chicken stock and basil until well blended. Place to one side.
• In a large deep pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp sun dried tomato oil (or sub regular olive oil) and fry the onion until soft and golden. Add in garlic and fry for a further minute or so, then add the sausage and fry until fully browned, breaking it up with your wooden spoon as you go.
• Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente. When ready, either use a ladle to scoop the pasta into the sauce and leave the water in the pot. Or, drain in a colander and collect all the water in a bowl or jug. Either way, just ensure sure the water is seasoned well and make sure you don't drain it away!
• Stir tomato puree into the cooked sausage meat and fry for 1-2 minutes, then stir in the sun dried tomato paste and mascarpone. Add the pasta, along with a cup of the starchy pasta water. Give it all a good stir, adding more pasta water to thin out as needed.
• Stir through parmesan and adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with fresh parsley and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Sausage - I use regular sausage meat for this recipe (you'll find it in most supermarkets), but if you can't find any just squeeze the meat from some good quality sausages (neutral flavour). Don't use ground pork, you'll lose out on too much flavour.

b) Sun Dried Tomato Oil - If you have vacuum packed sun dried tomatoes or ones not in oil that's fine, just use olive oil at the start.

c) Pasta Water - This is a key ingredient to create the sauce, so don't drain it away! The starch molecules will emulsify will the fats in the sauce and help create an extra creamy pasta sauce. 

d) Chicken Stock - Try and go for reduced salt stock otherwise the dish may end up too salty (with the pasta water and parmesan). Not a deal breaker, just be careful with seasoning.

e) Tomato Puree - Important to fry the tomato puree to bring out the sweetness in it.

f) Calories - Based on sharing between 4 people with no extra parmesan.

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Nutrition

Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 48.82g | Protein: 26.08g | Fat: 41.95g | Saturated Fat: 15.455g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.264g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18.718g | Trans Fat: 0.002g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 991mg | Potassium: 1593mg | Fiber: 9.2g | Sugar: 15.17g | Vitamin A: 1900IU | Vitamin C: 21.5mg | Calcium: 190mg | Iron: 5.2mg

Looking for more?

You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’

If you’re looking for a similar creamy tomato style pasta then definitely check out my Penne Alfredo with Bacon & Sun Dried Tomato!

For other similar recipes give these a ganders too:

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