Creamy Mushroom and Sausage Pasta

Creamy Mushroom Sausage Pasta is an easy weeknight dinner, but it tastes like you slaved over the recipe. It’s creamy, rich, and pure comfort food.

I love anything and everything about mushrooms and love them anyway I can get them. Mushroom pilaf, Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions, stuffed portobello mushrooms. The list is long and lovely, just bring on the mushrooms, please.

You must make this mushroom and sausage pasta dinner. Like today. Maybe you could wait until tomorrow, but definitely do not wait much longer than that. I’m tellin’ you, it is comfort in a bowl. How could it not be with Italian sausage, loads of Crimini mushrooms, half and half, sour cream and cream cheese?! Hey I said it was comfort in a bowl, not a diet in a bowl.

And it is so so easy to make! It comes together so quickly so it is great for weeknight dinners. Let’s talk a little bit about what you’re going to need to make it.

Ingredients you’ll need:

CRIMINI MUSHROOMS: They are are my favorite because they can be used in many different things. They’re like white button mushrooms, but they have an earthier flavor. For this reason, I chose to use them in the mushroom and sausage pasta.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE: I was serving this to my kiddos so I used mild Italian sausage links. If you want to add a bit of heat use hot Italian Sausage instead.

SHALLOTS: These are a bit more mild than red onions so they add a nice subtle onion flavor to the sauce.

GARLIC

WHITE WINE: Use a dry white wine like chardonnay. And as with any time you’re cooking with wine, make sure you use a wine that you would drink out of the bottle. The flavor will be concentrated during the cooking.

MUSHROOM BROTH: This can be kind of hard to find, I use this Mushroom base from Better Than Bouillon. If you can’t find it, you can use beef or chicken broth.

HALF AND HALF: This is going to add a touch of creaminess to the sauce. If you want it even creamier, you can use heavy cream instead.

SOUR CREAM: I prefer to use full fat in this sauce. If you use a reduced fat sour cream, it may separate a bit.

CREAM CHEESE: Adds even more richness to the sauce! Trust me!

PARSLEY: Optional but I love the pop of color that it adds.

SALT AND PEPPER

PASTA: You can use whatever short pasta that you like. I used rotini but you can use elbows, shells or penne too.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions:

STEP #1: Cook pasta according to package directions.

STEP #2: Meanwhile while pasta is cooking, brown Italian sausage in a pan over medium heat. Once browned transfer to a plate.

STEP #3: In the same pan that you cooked the sausage in add two tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Stir in mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are softened and brown.

STEP #4: Pour in wine and mushroom broth allow to cook for 5 minutes. Scrape any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Return sausage to the pan.

STEP #5: Stir one tablespoon of the hot broth into the half and half to temper it.Stir tempered half and half, sour cream and cream cheese into broth. Continue cooking until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened slightly, 5 -7 minutes.

STEP #6:Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Stir to coat. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir once more and add chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Storing Leftovers/Reheating

Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator. Will last for a few days in the refrigerator. It reheats well in the microwave.

My family loved this Creamy Mushroom Sausage Pasta! I served it with a salad and some of my easy Garlic Bread. My picky kiddos even asked for seconds.

If you love mushrooms as much as me, you have to check out these other mushroom recipes:

Quinoa with Caramelized Crimini Mushrooms from Cookin’ Canuck

Stuffed Mushrooms were always one of my favorite appetizers to get at restaurants and they are super easy to make at home!

Another quick dinner idea is this Baked Chicken with Mushrooms!

Got an Air Fryer? You have GOT to try these Air Fryer Mushrooms.

Note: This recipe was originally written and posted in 2010. It was updated with new photos, step by step instructions, nutrition information and a modified recipe in 2022.

Creamy Mushroom Sausage Pasta

This mushroom and sausage pasta recipe is an easy weeknight dinner, but it tastes like you slaved over the recipe. It's creamy, rich, and pure comfort food.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Total Time 35 mins

Course Main Dishes

Cuisine American

Servings 4 Servings

Calories 741 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Ingredients:

• 8 ounces dried pasta
• 13 ounces ground mild Italian sausage about 4 links removed from casings
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1/4 cup diced shallots
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 cup mushroom broth
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/4 cup light sour cream
• 2 ounces cream cheese softened
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
• salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• Meanwhile while pasta is cooking, brown Italian sausage in a pan over medium heat. Once browned transfer to a plate.
• In the same pan that you cooked the sausage in add two tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Stir in mushrooms, shallots and garlic. Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are softened and brown.
• Pour in wine and mushroom broth allow to cook for 5 minutes. Scrape any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. Return sausage to the pan.
• Stir one tablespoon of the hot broth into the half and half to temper it.
• Stir tempered half and half, sour cream and cream cheese into broth. Continue cooking until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened slightly, 5 -7 minutes.
• Add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Stir to coat. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Stir once more and add chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Notes

Tempering the half and half will help prevent it from curdling when you add it to the hot broth. 

If you don't have rotini, you can use any short pasta. Elbow macaroni, penne or ziti would work well. 

Nutrition information for estimation purposes only. 

Nutrition

Calories: 741kcalCarbohydrates: 53gProtein: 25gFat: 47gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 995mgPotassium: 777mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 786IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 119mgIron: 3mg

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Keywords: comfort food, crimini mushrooms, Food, italian, italian sausage, pasta, Recipe