Creamy Sausage Gemelli Pasta
You won't hear a complaint about dinner when this Creamy Sausage Gemelli Pasta is on the menu. This family favorite pasta recipe is pure comfort food.
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian Sausage
- 2 small shallots, finely diced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 12 ounces dry gemelli pasta, or any medium shape pasta
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- Pinch nutmeg, optional
- Grated Parmesan cheese
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Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until lightly browned but not fully cooked, stirring to crumble. Add shallots and mushrooms and cook until shallots and mushrooms are soft and sausage is fully cooked.1 pound bulk mild Italian Sausage, 2 small shallots, , 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- Add wine and bay leaf to pan with sausage, shallots and mushrooms, and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 15-20 minutes1 ½ cups dry white wine, 1 bay leaf
- While wine is reducing, prepare pasta according to package directions, reserving ⅓ cup cooking liquid. Drain and set aside.12 ounces dry gemelli pasta,
- Add cream, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes and nutmeg to wine-sausage mixture in pan and stir to combine. Continue to cook for about 5-7 minutes to slightly thicken sauce. Add cooked pasta to the sausage sauce and stir until combined and heated through. If necessary, thin sauce with reserved cooking liquid, one tablespoon at a time.1 ¼ cups heavy cream, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, , Pinch nutmeg,
- Serve with plenty of grated Parmesan cheese and extra crushed red pepper flakes.Grated Parmesan cheese
Notes
- If you can't find gemelli, use fusilli (or any other medium shaped pasta) instead.
- You can use mild or hot Italian sausage.
- A dry white wine works best in this recipe. I used a Sauvignon Blanc.
- The white wine can be replaced with chicken or vegetable broth and reduced according to recipe directions.
- If you don't have shallots, you can use half of a small onion instead.
- Fresh rosemary also works well in place of the fresh thyme.
- Baby bella mushrooms were used to test this recipe but you can use whatever kind you prefer.
Storage:
Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. This pasta does not freeze well as the cream sauce tends to separate and become a bit grainy after the freezing/defrosting process.Make Ahead Suggestions:
- Make pasta up to two days ahead of time. Reserve ⅓ cup of pasta water in case you need to add it to the sauce when you make it. Cook pasta to al dente and drain well. Toss gemelli with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking. Cool completely before storing covered in refrigerator.
- Make the sauce up to two days ahead of time. Cool completely, place in a sealed container and refrigerate. Gently reheat on the stovetop before tossing with pasta. You may need to add the reserved pasta water or milk if the sauce is too thick.
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Nutrition
Serving: 6ouncesCalories: 1059kcalCarbohydrates: 73gProtein: 32gFat: 64gSaturated Fat: 30gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 170mgSodium: 867mgPotassium: 849mgFiber: 4gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1253IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 110mgIron: 4mg
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
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