Spicy Sausage Pasta with Parmesan Cream Sauce

This Spicy Sausage Pasta is a delicious dinner with layers of flavor from the sausage and mushroom ragu down to the creamy parmesan cream sauce. You can make the ragu ahead for busy weeknights too.

This recipe is inspired by one of the pasta dishes that I have enjoyed several times at a restaurant here in São Paulo, Brazil. I decided to recreate it myself and this is my Spicy Sausage Pasta with Mushrooms and Parmesan Cream Sauce.

The absolutely delicious ragu starts with a spicy, but not hot, pork sausage, or linguiça. Then mushrooms, garlic, onions, tomato paste, and broth all cook down for an hour. The result is a thick, rich, flavorful, delicious ragu that goes over the pasta.

On the bottom or mixed into the past if you like, is a creamy, decadent parmesan and garlic, cream sauce. Each bite of this pasta dish has incredible flavors with a little ragu, pasta, and a little cream sauce. It's truly divine and soon to be one of your new favorites.

Brazilian Origins of Spicy Sausage Pasta

This recipe is inspired by a fantastic dish that I have ordered many times at Modern Mamma Osteria. It's a popular restaurant here in São Paulo. Their recipe is secret, but it uses porcini mushrooms in the ragu and pecorino cheese in the cream sauce. I went with ingredients that are a bit easier to find. As I've mentioned before for other recipes on this site, there is a lot of Italian-influence and Italian recipes in the cuisine here. This is because, more than one million Italians immigrated to Brazil during 1880-1920 with 70% of them settling in São Paulo.

Simple Ingredients and Substitutes

Sausage and Mushroom Ragu Ingredients

• Raw pork sausage removed from the casing - Here in Brazil, Linguiça (sausage) is so popular and comes in many flavor varieties, including pepper or pimiento. I recommend a fresh sausage, not pre-cooked. You can use any raw pork sausages that you love, whether that's a mild Italian sausage, hot italian sausage or another flavor. You can substitute chicken or turkey sausage or ground pork, ground beef, lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken in this recipe.
• Olive Oil - Extra Virgin Olive Oil is my go-to for marinades. However, you can substitute in vegetable oil, canola oil, coconut oil, or other neutral oil that you have. You can also leave the oil out and substitute with broth or even water.
• Garlic cloves - Fresh is best when it comes to garlic. You can buy pre-minced garlic to save time or mince it in bulk and freeze it for use when you need it! You can also substitute in dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Yellow onion – I used yellow onion, but you can use white onion, red onion, shallots, or even scallions.
• Mushrooms - I used a combination of Cremini Mushrooms (sometimes called baby bellas) and Shiitake Mushrooms because that's what my local store had. You can use any mushrooms you want though! White button mushrooms would be just perfect, and you buy pre-sliced or whole mushrooms. I don’t recommend frozen or canned mushrooms as they will not give the same flavor or texture. You can also substitute another vegetable in for the mushrooms, such as carrots or red bell pepper.
• Tomato paste - Tomato paste gives that deep tomato flavor without too much liquid or chunks. If you don’t have it, you can use ½ cup of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes and just make sure to reduce it down a bit longer uncovered if needed.
• Dried Oregano – You can also use fresh oregano. You can substitute with Italian seasoning, thyme, rosemary, or marjoram.
• Chicken Broth or chicken stock – You can also use, vegetable broth or stock or Beef broth or stock. You can also use water mixed with a beef or chicken bouillon cube or beef base or chicken base.
• Red Pepper Flakes (optional) - If you cannot find spicy sausage or just want to add more spice, then a pinch of red pepper flakes (or as much as you like), cayenne pepper, or even hot sauce will work.
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Parmesan Cream Sauce & Pasta Ingredients

• Garlic, minced - see above for guidance on garlic.
• Heavy Cream - For the most decadent and creamy sauce, I used heavy cream. You can substitute in half and half.
• Chicken broth - Use whatever you used in the ragu.
• Dried oregano - Again, use the same as used in the ragu.
• Parmesan cheese - Finely grated will melt best into the sauce. You can also use pecorino cheese.
• Butter, salted - This is for cooking the garlic and of course, brings buttery flavor. You can substitute with unsalted butter or olive oil.
• Dry or Uncooked Fresh Pasta - I love long fettuccine noodles in this recipe, but you can use any pasta you love. Spaghetti, linguini, farfalle, and penne pasta are all good options.

See recipe card for quantities.

Simple Equipment You'll Need with Options

You will need a large frying pan or large skillet to cook the ragu. A fitted lid is a plus, but you can also cover with aluminum foil. I used my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan that comes with a lid. You could also make it in the oven in a dutch oven.

You will need a smaller pan or saucepan for the cream sauce. And finally, a large pot for cooking the pasta.

Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.

Tips for this Spicy Sausage Pasta Recipe

My first tip for this recipe is to double up on the ragu and freeze some for later! It's delicious and freezes, thaws, and reheats really easily.

Second, if you have mushroom naysayers eating with you, you can leave them out of add them to half of the recipe last right before reducing it down.

Third, to save time, you can usually find delicious cream sauces right in the store these days, so feel free to take a short cut. You can add fresh parmesan to it if you like.

How to Make this Spicy Sausage Pasta Recipe

Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Chop the mushrooms. Remove the pork sausage from the casing.

Preheat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and ground pork. Break up the meat with a spatula so that you get an even layer. Let the pork get browned for about 3-5 minutes. Stir to really break up the pieces and so that it browns on all sides.

Transfer the pork to a plate or bowl leaving the fat behind in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium heat.

Add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms start to get browned.

Add the partially cooked sausage back with the tomato paste, oregano, and broth, cook over low heat for an hour.

When the sauce thickens to a ragu, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Make Cream Sauce and Pasta

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.

While the ragu is cooking, make the cream sauce. Add the butter and garlic to a saucepan over low heat.

Cook for 1-2 minutes until the butter melts and simmers. Stir to make sure the garlic doesn't burn.

Add the heavy cream, broth, and oregano. While whisking, add oregano and grated parmesan cheese.

Whisk briskly to make sure the parmesan doesn't clump, until cheese is completely melted, approximately 3-4 minutes.

To serve this, spoon the cream sauce on the bottom of the plate or bowl. Add the pasta on the sauce. Then top with the ragu. Garnish with grated parmesan.

Even if your reader doesn't follow a specific diet (eg. gluten free), they may have friends or family that they're cooking for that could use this. This is also a great idea to link out to another blogger with a similar recipe that fits a different diet.

Variations

Here are some variations on this recipe to take it in a new direction!

• Gluten Free - Use your favorite gluten free pasta. Always check ingredient labels to ensure products are gluten free if you require a gluten free diet.
• Ground Beef Ragu - Instead of sausage, you can go with a regular ground beef ragu.
• Mac and Cheese version - How about turning this into a really cheesy pasta. Instead of mixing in parmesan into the heavy cream, you can whisk in shredded cheddar cheese and then mix it all with pasta for a mac and cheese pasta base. Then give everyone the option to add as much of the ragu as they want.

Spicy Sausage Pasta Recipe FAQs

More Brazilian-Italian Recipes

Looking for other recipes from Brazil that are Italian-inspired? Try these:

Spicy Sausage Pasta with Mushrooms and Parmesan Cream Sauce

Carrie Tyler

This Spicy Sausage Pasta with Mushrooms and Parmesan Cream Sauce is incredibly delicious and satisfying. It starts with a spicy, but not hot, pork sausage, or linguiça. Then mushrooms, garlic, onions, tomato paste, and broth all cook down for an hour. The result is a thick, rich, flavorful, delicious ragu that goes over the pasta. On the bottom or mixed into the past if you like, is a creamy, decadent parmesan and garlic, cream sauce. Each bite of this pasta dish has a little ragu, pasta, and a little cream sauce.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Brazilian, Italian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  

Sausage and Mushroom Ragu

• 1 pound Raw pork sausage removed from the casing
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• ½ Yellow onion, diced
• 10-12 ounces Mushrooms, rough chopped
• ¼ cup Tomato paste
• 2 cups Chicken broth or stock
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Parmesan Cream Sauce

• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• ¾ cup half and half
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon Butter, salted
• 16 ounces Dry or Fresh Pasta

Instructions

 

Prepare ingredients

• Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Chop the mushrooms.
• Remove the pork sausage from the casing.

Make the Pork and Mushroom Ragu

• Preheat a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and ground pork. Break up the meat with a spatula so that you get an even layer. Let the pork get browned for about 3-4 minutes. Stir to really break up the pieces and so that it browns on all sides. Transfer the pork to a plate or bowl leaving the fat behind in the pan.
• Turn the heat down to medium heat. To the pork fat (or add another 2 teaspoons of olive oil if needed), add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms start to get browned.
• Add the sausage back along with the tomato paste, oregano, and broth, cook over low heat for an hour. When the sauce thickens to a ragu (see reference pictures in the post). Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Make Cream Sauce and Pasta

• Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente.
• While the ragu is cooking, make the cream sauce. Add the butter and garlic to a saucepan over low heat and cook for 1-2 minutes until the butter melts and simmers, but doesn't turn brown. Stir to make sure the garlic doesn't burn. Add the heavy cream, broth, and oregano. While whisking, add oregano and grated parmesan cheese. Whisk briskly to make sure the parmesan doesn't clump, until cheese is completely melted, approximately 3-4 minutes.
• To serve this, spoon the cream sauce on the bottom of the plate or bowl. Add the pasta on the sauce. Then top with the ragu. Garnish with grated parmesan.

Keyword cream sauce, pasta, pork, ragu, sausage