Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta made with hot Italian sausage, Calabrian chilies, and a rich tomato sauce. On the table in 35 minutes, with just the right amount of heat.
Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta in the kitchen today, my friends. This is everything you need in one comforting pot. We have hot Italian sausage crispy and browned, toasted Calabrian chili paste and tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, and a splash of red wine for the perfect sauce. Toss in rigatoni and BOOM, you have a rich, garlicky pasta that actually tastes spicy.
Most "spicy" sausage pastas out there toss in a quarter spoon of red pepper flakes and call it a day. That's not spicy. This dish actually brings it with the ideal combination - hot Italian sausage, enough chili flakes to make a difference, and Calabrian chili paste to round it out. Plus I'll show you how you can spice it up even more.
My mother made a version of this dish when I was growing it, and it was always one of my favorites. This is how I make it now, faster, hotter for sure, and made for quick and easy weeknight cooking. Let's do it!
Italian Sausage is Key
You'll get the spicy kick from multiple ingredients, but the Italian sausage does much of the work and carries the flavor. Get the best quality you can buy.
I get mine from a local Italian butcher near me that makes their own spicy Italian sausage in house. It's seriously fantastic. A good butcher shop sausage has coarse grind, better fat, real fennel, and they're not afraid of the chili heat. Look for an Italian market near you, or ask at your local butcher counter. If not, grab the best hot Italian sausage you can find at your local grocery store, or make my Homemade Italian Sausage and control the whole thing yourself.
You can use ground Italian sausage, but I love using the links. This way, I get larger chunks of sausage right out of the casings, and it browns better in the pan.
Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Hot Italian sausage. Sweet or mild works for those who can't handle the heat. Use a mix of hot and sweet for a mid-range option.
- Calabrian chili paste. The ingredient that makes mine better than all the rest. Calabrian chilies are fruity, a little smoky, medium hot, and packed in oil with salt and vinegar, so they add tang along with the heat. You can find it at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or any Italian market. It's also easy to find online. You can also make my Calabrian Chili Paste at home. Swaps below if you can't get any.
- Tomato paste. Perfect for toasting in the pan, which takes only two minutes and adds huge flavor.
- Crushed tomatoes. I love fire roasted when I can find them crushed. The smokiness matches up beautifully with the Calabrian chilies. Regular crushed tomatoes work great.
- Red wine. Optional, enough to help scrape up all the browned bits stuck to the pan, which is a big flavor builder. Use Chianti or Sangiovese, good Italian reds. Chicken broth works if you'd rather skip the wine.
- Rigatoni or penne. Ridges and tubes grab up the sauce. Longer strands like spaghetti work, but they don't hold onto the sauce as well.
- Pecorino romano or Parmesan. Parmesan is a bit mellower. Both are great.
- Pasta water. The starchy water helps thicken and sauce and turns it glossy.
How to Make Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta
Get the water going. Get a big pot of well salted water boiling over high heat while you start the sauce.
Brown the sausage. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high, then add the sausage and break it up as it cooks. You only need five or six minutes until you see real browning and crispy edges. Those browned bits add flavor to the entire dish, so give it the time and don't stir too much. Let it brown. Pour off excess fat if needed, but leave about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
Aromatics. Onion for 3 minutes, then garlic for 1 minute. Once the water boils, drop the pasta in and pull it a minute shy of the package time.
Toast the pastes. Push everything to the sides, then add the tomato paste and Calabrian chili paste to the bare center. Toast 1 to 2 minutes until the tomato paste darkens, then give everything a big stir.
Deglaze. Pour in the wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the sausage on the bottom of the pan. Cook a minute or two until it's mostly reduced.
Simmer. Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Reduce heat to low and simmer while the pasta finishes. Season with salt and pepper at the end, not the beginning, because the sausage, the chili paste, and the cheese are all have a bit of salt on their own.
Finish in the sauce. Reserve a cup of pasta water, then drain. Add the pasta straight into the skillet with a good splash of pasta water. Toss over medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Finish. Off heat, stir in the butter, pecorino, then the basil. Serve with more cheese and a good drizzle of olive oil or Calabrian chili oil. BOOM. Done.
Adjust the Heat Level
This recipe is Medium Heat as written. You'll get good spice factor from the hot Italian sausage, red pepper flakes, along with fruity heat and tang from the Calabrian chili paste. Here is how to adjust it.
- Milder. Use sweet or mild Italian sausage, cut the red pepper flakes to half a teaspoon, and skip the Calabrian paste. You'll lose some character but it's still a great pasta.
- Hotter. Bump the Calabrian paste to 2 tablespoons, mince a Fresno or serrano in with the onion, or stir a chopped habanero into the sauce as it simmers.
- Wild. A pinch of ghost pepper powder or a splash of your favorite extra hot sauce at the end. Mild to wild, my friends.
No Calabrian Chili Paste? Best Substitutes
My top recommendations, listed in order of importance.
- Crushed Calabrian chilies in oil. These can be easier to find - same pepper, just unprocessed. Use 1-2 chilies, mashed with a fork (about 1 tablespoon).
- Homemade Calabrian chili paste. My recipe is here.
- Jarred hot cherry peppers. Often easier to find and a strong match, as they deliver both heat and the vinegary tang. Use 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped plus a teaspoon of the brine.
- Harissa. Use 2-3 teaspoons. It includes cumin and caraway, so it pushes the dish North African. Different, still delicious. See my homemade harissa recipe to make your own.
- Sambal oelek. Use 2 teaspoons plus a drizzle of olive oil. You get heat and acidity, but none of the smoky notes. See my sambal oelek recipe.
- Red pepper flakes. Use 1 teaspoon bloomed in the oil, plus a teaspoon of red wine vinegar stirred in at the end. Definitely work in a pinch and you still get a tasty pasta.
Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta
Want a creamy version? Stir a third cup of heavy cream into the finished sauce right after the pecorino, off the heat. It tames the overall dish and turns the sauce a rosy orange, more like a vodka sauce than a red sauce. Use half a cup if you want it fully creamy. Two tablespoons of mascarpone works too and makes it richer. Use sour cream for a lighter version
Note: Don't boil the sauce after you add the cream. It can break and turn lumpy.
Serving Suggestions
Garlic bread is a must! You can't beat garlic bread with a spicy pasta dish. Add a drizzle of good quality olive oil over the pasta to serve, along with some freshly cracked black pepper, extra shredded or grated parmesan or pecorino. Patty likes a few ribbons of fresh basil from our garden.
For a bit of extra heat, drizzle on some Calabrian chili oil, and don't forget extra red pepper flakes.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce back up. I don't recommend freezing this dish, as the pasta goes soft.
Patty's Take
Patty loves this dish! Her only notes were adding more basil if you want stirred in at the end, and definitely more on top for serving. She enjoys lots of basil.
For the heat level, she says it's just right. This is good to know for most spicy food lovers who enjoy a touch of heat without going crazy like I sometimes do.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my personal recipe for spicy Italian sausage pasta. Let me know if you make it and how you spiced yours up at home. I'd love to hear it.
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Spicy Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe
Equipment
- Large pot for pasta
- Large deep skillet or Dutch oven
- Colander
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped (about 1 cup)
- 4-5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Calabrian chili paste see notes for swaps
- 1/3 cup dry red wine optional, Chianti or Sangiovese
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes fire roasted if you can find them
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning or 1 teaspoon each dried basil, oregano, thyme
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Finish
- 1 pound rigatoni or penne
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano or Parmesan plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh basil torn
- 1/3 cup heavy cream optional, for a creamy version
Instructions
- Get a large pot of salted water going over high heat.
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the sausage and cook 5-6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned with crispy edges. This develops a lot of flavor. Pour off excess fat, but leave about 2 tablespoons in the pan.
- Add the onion and cook 3 minutes, then the garlic for 1 minute.
- Push everything to the sides of the pan. Add the tomato paste and Calabrian chili paste to the center and toast 1-2 minutes, until the tomato paste darkens, then stir through.
- Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits. Cook 1-2 minutes until mostly reduced.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a low boil, then simmer 15-20 minutes, stirring now and then. Season with salt and pepper at the end.
- While the sauce is simmering, add the pasta and cook it 1 minute shy of the package time.
- Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain. Add the pasta straight into the sauce with a good splash of the pasta water. Toss over medium heat 2 minutes so the pasta finishes in the sauce. The starch will thicken the sauce. Add more pasta water if it needs loosening.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter, then the pecorino, then the basil. For a creamy version, stir in 1/3 cup heavy cream at this point, before the basil. Serve with more cheese.
Notes
Nutrition Information
FAQ
What can I use instead of Calabrian chili paste?
Crushed Calabrian chilies in oil are the closest. After that, chopped jarred hot cherry peppers with a splash of brine, harissa, or sambal oelek. Red pepper flakes plus a teaspoon of red wine vinegar works in a pinch.
Can I make this with mild or sweet Italian sausage?
Absolutely. You'll lose some of the heat, but you'll still get a kick from the Calabrian paste and red pepper flakes.
Can I skip the wine?
Yes. Use chicken broth, or even a splash of water to scrape up the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. You'll lose some depth from the wine, but it is still delicious.
Can I make it ahead?
Make the sauce ahead and refrigerate it up to 3 days. Reheat it, cook fresh pasta, and finish the pasta in the sauce as written. This is much better than reheating the finished dish.
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