CREAMY ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH PENNE PASTA

This was dinner last night.  We had an issue with the fridge the other day and we had to use some food in the freezer because of thawing.  I normally do a marinara Italian sausage dish but decided to use the heavy cream so it would not go bad and make a parmesan garlic sauce to go with the Italian Sausage.  

I make a similar recipe with chicken.  Click here for the recipe.  Start by browning the Italian sausage.

Add mushrooms and saute a little longer.

It should look like this when done.

Cut some sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces.

Throw them into the sausage mixture.

Make the cream sauce.  Add garlic, parmesan cheese, white pepper into a pint of heavy cream.  Add 1 cup of half and half and allow all of this to slowly warm so that the cheese melts.  

 The cheese will thicken the sauce.

Boil pasta and drain.  Add the sausage mixture and pasta into a large bowl to combine.

Add the cream sauce.

CREAMY ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH PENNE PASTA

Ingredients

• 1 pound of bulk Italian sausage
• 1 carton of mushrooms sliced
• 4 ounces of sun-dried tomatoes chopped
• 1 pint of heavy cream
• 1 cup of half and half
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 to 4 ounces shredded parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 box of penne pasta

Directions

• Saute sausage till almost done.  Add mushrooms and cook until sausage is no longer pink.
• Add sun-dried tomatoes to sausage mixture.
• Make the cream sauce by adding heavy cream, half and half, white pepper, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese to a saucepan.  Slowly warm so that the cheese will melt and thicken your sauce.  
• Cook pasta per directions on box.  Drain.
• Add pasta, sausage mix, and cream sauce to a bowl and combine.

I use bulk sausage that we make homemade but you can buy it in the casing and just remove the sausage from the casing.  

You can use mild or hot sausage.  It is your choice on how spicy you want your meal.

You could also add spinach for a vegetable boast.  

You can also mix up the pasta.  You do not have to use penne.  You can use egg noodles, rotini, farfalle or you could go for long noodles such as spaghetti, linguine or even fettuccine.  

Garnish with more parmesan cheese.  

Have a great Wednesday.  

ENJOY!