Sausage Mushroom Pasta
Sausage Mushroom Pasta with Italian sausage, creamy white Alfredo sauce, and a secret sweet ingredient is a hearty and comforting weeknight dinner for two. Serve it with a side salad for a complete meal.
When I’m not shooting food, I’m out capturing the streets and bridges of Pittsburgh which you can find over at City Life Adventures.
Because I shoot mostly in the evenings, sometimes I don’t have much time between making dinner and running out for golden hour and sunset.
As tempting as it is to throw a frozen pizza in the oven and call it a day, that won’t work every single night.
That’s when having quick dinner recipes come in handy like this creamy Sausage Mushroom Pasta.
It’s rigatoni pasta with sausage and Alfredo sauce plus an unexpected yet delightful secret ingredient that makes this Italian sausage alfredo better than most recipes you’ll find out there.
When you’ve been cooking for as long as I have, you memorize certain formulas, such as how to make homemade Alfredo sauce with my Alfredo mac and cheese.
With this knowledge, I can look at what I have on hand and come up with a hearty and comforting dinner in under an hour.
I’ve done other mushroom pasta recipes such as tomato mushroom pasta and butternut squash alfredo.
Here I made a homemade creamy Alfredo with sausage, mushrooms, onion, garlic, and…dried cherries.
Did I just say dried cherries? For mushroom sausage pasta?! Yes. Yes I did.
The fruit adds a nice pop of sweetness that balances all the richness from the meat and cream sauce. Seriously, don’t knock it before you try it!
I got the idea to add dried cherries from a local Pittsburgh restaurant. The chef made sausage stuffed mushrooms with a mushroom cauliflower puree and roasted mushrooms with dried cherries.
The flavor combination worked, so I got the idea to turn Italian sausage, button mushrooms, and dried cherries into the best mushroom sausage pasta you’ll ever make at home.
Serve it alongside green onion salad and small batch dinner rolls to make it a complete dinner for two.
Ingredients For Sausage Mushroom Pasta
To make your pasta with sausage and alfredo, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- Pasta: I chose rigatoni because the grooves on the pasta hold the sauce more efficiently. You can also use penne or even medium shells, anything that will catch and hold the sauce.
- Oil: Used to help cook your sausage
- Italian sausage: Use sweet or mild, depending on your preference
- Butter: Used to build the base of your Alfredo sauce
- Onion and garlic: Aromatics to build your sauce
- Mushrooms: I used basic button mushrooms, but you can also use cremini for a more meatier mushroom
- Heavy whipping cream: Used to make the Alfredo sauce. No flour needed as the sauce thickens as the cream reduces. Do not substitute as you need the fat.
- Dried cherries: Adds a pop of sweetness to balance the richness
- Parmesan cheese: Use freshly shredded or grated, not the stuff in the green can
- Basil: Adds some freshness
Which sausage should I buy?
When choosing which sausage to buy for rigatoni, look for Italian sausage.
Italian sausage is pork sausage already seasoned, usually with fennel and garlic. Sometimes chili pepper is added, turning it into hot Italian sausage.
You can often buy it ground in a package. However, if all you see are links, you can squeeze the meat out of the casings.
And if you find yourself with leftover sausage, make my sausage gravy recipe for 2 and serve over biscuits and gravy for two or mashed potatoes for two.
Adding Dried Cherries To Dinner
You don’t often see dried cherries in dinner recipes, but they were a surprisingly nice touch with mushrooms and cream.
They add a small burst of sweetness, which helps balance out all of the savoriness. There’s a reason everyone says opposites attract!
Typically you would rehydrate dried cherries ahead of time, but I saved time and plumped them up by cooking them in the cream sauce.
I promise they taste good, but if you’re a bit skeptical you don’t have to add them.
How To Cook Sausage Mushroom Pasta
There are two parts to making your Alfredo pasta with sausage: cooking the pasta then making the sauce. Luckily you can do both at the same time!
Here’s how to make your mushroom sausage pasta:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Don’t add salt just yet because if you get distracted and the water reduces, it may become too salty. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add a handful of salt (preferably kosher but table salt works too) then the pasta. Cook until al dente.
- Cook sausage in large skillet until fully cooked.
- Cook mushrooms, onion, and garlic in melted butter until softened and browned.
- Stir in heavy cream and cherries then bring to a boil. Cook until thickened but still a little loose.
- Add Parmesan, basil, sausage, and pasta to sauce then serve.
Italian sausage Alfredo is best eaten when it’s made as the sauce will be absorbed the longer it sits. Refrigerate leftover pasta for up to 5 days.
Sausage Mushroom Pasta FAQ
If your Alfredo sauce gets too thick during cook, whisk in more cream to thin it out.
Yes. My go-tos are white button and cremini mushrooms, but you can use any variety you’d like, including shiitake and maitake.
No. You need the fat from heavy cream. Otherwise your sauce won’t be rich and creamy
More Mushroom Recipes
Since you’ll have leftover mushrooms in the package, here are more mushroom recipe ideas:
Sausage Mushroom Pasta
Sausage Mushroom Pasta with Italian sausage, creamy white Alfredo sauce, and a secret sweet ingredient is a hearty and comforting weeknight dinner for two.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) uncooked rigatoni pasta
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound (8 ounces) ground Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup diced white or yellow onion
- 4 large white button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, minced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (do not substitute)
- 1/3 cup dried cherries or dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (fresh, not the green can)
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add a big
handful of salt then add rigatoni. Cook as directed on the package until al dente, about 12-13 minutes. Drain into colander. - Meanwhile, make the sauce: In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the oil until hot. Add the sausage and cook until brown and no longer pink, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.
- In the same skillet, add the butter and heat until melted., scraping up any brown bits left behind from the sausage.
- Add onion, mushrooms, and a big pinch of salt. Cook until
softened, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. - Stir in the cream and dried cherries. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and simmer until thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Leave the sauce a little loose because once you add the sausage and pasta, it'll absorb some of it.
- Stir in the cheese, basil, and cooked sausage. Taste and adjust for salt.
- Add the cooked rigatoni to the sauce and stir until coated.
Notes
- Enjoyed this recipe? Check out Tomato Mushroom Pasta and Butternut Squash Alfredo.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
First published October 3, 2019
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchase.
I can’t find the right words to describe how delicious this dish is! I immediately cooked it as soon as I saw the recipe on the blog. It looks so appetizing on photos, but in life it is even better (duh, in life it can be eaten!). And I an also a real pasta fan. In general, I am very satisfied and recommend everyone to cook this magical creamy sausage mushroom pasta. Thank you for sharing such great and delicious recipes, love your blog!
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for letting me know as feedback is always appreciated! :)
I found your recipe on Pinterest and finally made it tonight for my super picky spouse. He loved it and asked if we can make it more often!
Thank you!
Happy to hear that!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! Parr of one of my weekly dinner meals now! I found it so hilarious that my son had a sleepover the night after I made this and him and his friend ate it for dinner that night and for breakfast… it must be delicious if 14 YOs are eating it for breakfast!
Ha I can see how it would make a delicious breakfast! Glad it was a hit for everyone.
Thank you, I have a friend who is very fussy when it comes to food, he would eat a banana and walk away full and satisfied, and he is really worse than a toddler about his food, it has to be a certain colour, look, feel etc, but this when I made it for him, he ate a 1/2 plate full, that in itself is amazing.
And the second amazing thing is he liked it!!! :-)
So thank you
Oh wonderful! I’m glad your friend enjoyed his dinner.
is there something I can replace the mushrooms with? I’m allergic…
Mushrooms are very distinct so it’s hard to find an equal substitute. However, you can use zucchini or peas. It won’t be the same flavor profile, but I think it’ll still be good to serve with the sausage.
My long distance boyfriend came to visit me in Florida from Texas back in July and he asked me to cook him dinner so I hopped on Pinterest and found this recipe. We absolutely LOVE this and we made it again when I went out to see him in September. This has become our favorite meal and he told me someday when we have kids we’re going to fix it for them and he’s gonna tell them that this was the very first meal I ever cooked for him. I have a special place in my heart for this dish.
Oh wonderful! I’m happy to hear this recipe has a special place in your relationship. Thank you for sharing your story.
Knocked it out of the park!!
Wonderful recipe. My wife and I are lactose intolerant so I used condensed goat milk and manchego cheese instead. And it was fabulous! Thank you
Good to know goat milk works! Glad you enjoyed it. I like the idea of using manchego cheese.
I am interested in making this for a couple of friends who love creamy dishes, but do not care for pasta. Could this be made with rice? Thanks!
Rice and pasta aren’t interchangeable, but I think with some adjustments you can use the same flavors.
Beyond amazing! Simple ingredients, easy to cook and tasted better than anything I’ve had in awhile. I rarely continue to think about food soon after eating, and I can’t stop thinking about it. Sounds crazy, but this dish was so impressive. My new go-to meal!!
So happy to hear you loved the pasta!