10 Italian Sausage Pasta Recipes from different parts of Italy.
These 10 Italian sausage pasta recipes are just a taste of the many delicious ways Italians combine sausage meat with pasta. If you have never tried making sausage pasta, you should definitely give it a go. Most of these recipes are easy to make and budget friendly. They are also seriously delicious!
I must admit prior to starting the Pasta Project I hadn’t made many Italian sausage pasta recipes. But, now, I love them and make them pretty often. Pasta with sausage meat has lots pluses. Firstly sausages add a flavour to sauces that is distinctly different to just using ground meat. Italian sausages are really delicious! Secondly, sausage meat doesn’t require long cooking times. It cooks pretty quickly and is also budget friendly as sausages tend to be cheaper than good quality beef, pork, lamb or veal.
Sausages in Italy.
I would say that pork is the most popular meat throughout Italy. Italians make so many amazing products from pigs. Think salami, prosciutto, ham, lardo, pancetta, guanciale, capocollo (copa), speck, mortadella etc. In fact, the list is pretty endless! Plus practically every Italian region has traditional types of pork sausage. So, this means they also have their own traditional sausage pasta recipes.
The most common type of pork sausage used in Italian sausage pasta recipes is ‘salsiccia’. This usually refers to a simple fresh pork sausage made from a mixture of lean and fatty pork cuts, ground and mixed together with a little salt and wine, usually red. There are many types of salsiccia which also have spices or herbs such as rosemary, fennel seed, nutmeg, black pepper, chili pepper (peperoncino) etc. For most of these Italian pasta recipes the best is just a plain Italian salsiccia.
Even where the recipe calls for a particular type of sausage, you can always substitute with something similar. So, don’t be discouraged from trying these Italian sausage pasta recipes. Even if you use another type of sausage, the results are sure to be delicious!
Click the recipe name to find out how to make the dish.
Sausage Rigatoni alla Zozzona Recipe from Rome.
Sausage rigatoni alla Zozzona is a traditional pasta recipe from Rome that Romans make to use up leftovers of typical local ingredients. It’s easy to put together and substantial enough to be a meal on its own. Like other pasta recipes from Lazio, rigatoni alla Zozzona is a filling and hearty recipe and made with frequently used typical ingredients. In this case, guanciale, tomatoes, eggs, Pecorino and sausage. In fact, many of Rome’s favourite pasta recipes make use of the same ingredients.
Sausage and Saffron Pasta alla Monzese from Lombardy.
This creamy sausage and saffron pasta recipe from Lombardy is actually surprisingly simple to make and has just 4 main ingredients. It is simple enough for a great weeknight dish but rich and luxurious too!
Baked Ziti Pasta with Spicy Sausage from Naples.
This baked ziti pasta with spicy sausage, sometimes also called ‘ziti alla diavola’ (devilled), is a great Neapolitan baked pasta dish. Pasta prepared in this way is really flavourful and this recipe is simple and fast to make. This is a delicious Southern Italian baked pasta recipe that’s perfect for those who like spicy food.
Pasta alla Norcina from Umbria.
Pasta alla Norcina is a typical recipe from Umbria; specifically the ancient town of Norcia, famous for its sausages and cured meats. There are actually two versions of pasta alla norcina. This one is made with Norcia sausage crumbled into a pan with oil and onion, fresh cream, truffle and pecorino. This is a very simple recipe with few ingredients but so flavourful and creamy you’ll want to make it part of your regular pasta menu (great without truffles too!)
Gramigna Pasta with Sausage from Emilia-Romagna.
Despite not being as well-known as other classic pasta dishes from Bologna, gramigna with sausage is a common and popular menu item in Bologna’s homes, restaurants and trattorias. The simplest and most traditional version of this sauce only has three ingredients: sausage, tomatoes, and onion.
Sicilian Broccoli Pasta with Sausage and Chard.
My Sicilian hubby introduced me to pasta with broccoli and it really was love at first bite! Since then, I have eaten different versions of this typical Southern Italian dish. All delicious, but this Sicilian broccoli pasta with sausage and chard is definitely one of my favourites! It’s super tasty and healthy too, especially if you make it with organic ancient grain pasta from Sicily, as I did!
Sausage and Radicchio Farfalle Recipe from Northern Italy.
Sausage and radicchio (Italian chicory) is a popular combination for both pasta and risotto recipes, particularly here in Northern Italy, where most of the country’s radicchio is grown. This sausage and radicchio pasta recipe has only 3 main ingredients and is super simple to make. It’s also very tasty and full of authentic Italian flavour!
Sardinian Gnocchi (malloreddus) with Sausages alla Campidanese.
This malloreddus with sausage, tomatoes and saffron alla campidanese recipe is probably the most well-known way to serve these Sardinian gnocchi. It’s made with delicious pork sausage seasoned with fennel, saffron and fresh tomatoes . If you can’t find sausages with fennel you can also add crushed fennel seeds to the sauce to give it a similar flavour.
Homemade Cavatelli Pasta with Oyster Mushrooms and Sausage from Puglia.
This yummy homemade cavatelli pasta with oyster mushrooms and sausage is a traditional dish from Puglia in Southern Italy. There, they use cardoncelli aka king oyster mushrooms, but you can use other types of mushrooms too.
Gramigna with Sausage, Peas and Cream from Emilia-Romagna.
There are many tasty pasta with sausage recipes here in Italy. But, this gramigna with sausage, peas and cream definitely ranks among my favourites. It’s perfect for both family meals and entertaining.
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If you make any of these Italian sausage pasta recipes, I’d love to hear how they turns out and if you liked them. Please leave a comment here on the blog or on The Pasta Project Facebook page.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Buon appetito!
Loreto Nardelli says
You had me at sausage! We are Italian and I have so many fond memories of making homemade sausages. I love all the recipes and so beautiful that every region in Italy has there own take on sausages and pasta. This list was amazing and so many recipes to try! Thanks for sharing!
Leslie says
This is SUCH a great post! I love that you added which parts of Italy each recipe is from! I love that!
Heather says
Love this roundup! Can’t wait to try out these pasta dishes this Fall and winter!
Amanda says
These all look delicious! I’m having a hard time picking which one to try first, but I definitely plan on making my way through the whole list.
Chef Dennis says
So many delicious recipes! I don’t which to make first
Denise says
What a wonderful and delicious selection of Italian Sausage Pasta Recipes! I don’t know which I want to try first, maybe Pasta alla Norcina.
LaRena Fry says
European sausages are so good. These all look so good. Thanks for sharing.
Iain says
I just stumbled on this site and goodness it’s good. Thank you!
For anyone like me who doesn’t have (affordable) access to Italian sausage, it’s worth remembering that the first step in recipes is usually to get rid of the skin. So you can get away without the sausages…
Coarsely mince your meat, grind (for example) some fennel seed and chilli flakes, mix – and the mixture is close enough.
Thanks again. This really is great work.
Jacqui says
Thanks for your comment Iain. I’m happy you like my site. I agree that if you can’t get Italian sausages, homemade sausage meat is a great alternative. Thank you so much for the tip! All the best from Verona!
saif says
These sausage pastas looks delicious. They all look amazing. I might make one of them really soon.
Leah says
I love pasta and I feel like I’ve been missing out because I haven’t had any of these recipes before! I think first up on the list to try is the gramigna with sausage. It looks delicious!
Jacqui says
The gramigna with sausage is a good choice to start with Leah. It’s super easy to make but really tasty! I’m sure after that you’ll want to try another one of these sausage pasta recipes!
Angela says
I am not sure which to try first – all look amazing.
Jacqui says
Thank you Angela. Yes these are all great recipes and I’m sure whichever you try first, you’ll want to make some of the others too!
Nisha says
What a lovely post with so many different types of pastas! They all look so good and I’m unable to pick a favorite 🙂 So glad to have found your site and hope to try out different varieties of pasta from here.
Jacqui says
Thank you Nisha! I’m happy you like this post and hope you’ll try out some of the recipes! I’m sure you’ll love them!
Sharon says
I love this culinary adventure with these recipes! So many delicious combinations to choose from.
Jacqui says
Thanks so much for your comment Sharon! Yes there are so many delicious ways to use sausage with pasta. I’m sure you’ll enjoy whichever recipes you decided to try!
Aleta says
So many delicious pasta recipes to choose from, and all with my favourite, Italian sausage! I think I’m going to start with the Pasta alla Norcina first!
Jacqui says
Pasta alla Norcina is a favourite of mine. Good choice Aleta! I’m sure you’ll really like it!
Marta says
I made the Lombardy creamy sausage and saffron pasta recipe and was transported to Italy! The flavors were so fragrant and tasty.
Jacqui says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the pasta with sausage and saffron from Lombardy Marta! I think it’s a divine recipe too!
Colleen says
We love Italian sausage but I always make the same pasta recipe with it. I’m excited to try out some of these ones!
Jacqui says
There are so many delicious ways to make sausage pasta here in Italy Colleen. I’m sure that you’ll find some recipes here that you’ll want to add to your meal rotation!
Julie says
Such a convenient way to keep track of all these delish recipes.
Jacqui says
Thank you Julie! I love recipe roundups for that same reason. It’s great to find similar recipe choices in one post.
Jessica Formicola says
Oh wow, I can’t wait to try that saffron and sausage pasta! Thanks for sharing so many ideas!
Jacqui says
Happy you like these sausage pasta recipes Jessica. The saffron and sausage pasta is a good one to start with. Easy to make but totally divine!
Kechi says
Such an excellent post; I will be revisiting this page often because I want to make almost all the pasta dishes you showcased. We enjoy pasta in our family! Thanks for sharing
Jacqui says
Thanks for your comment Kechi. I’m so pleased you like this sausage pasta roundup. Do let me know how the recipes turn out when you try them!
Shruthi says
The sausage and saffron pasta takes me back to my time in Italy too! I used to live in Rome 🙂 Great round up with simple but delicious recipe!
Jacqui says
Thank you Shruthi. So interesting that you lived in Rome. I’m sure it was wonderful! I’m very happy you liked this roundup!