If you need dinner on the table fast, this pesto sausage pasta is one to keep in your back pocket. It comes together in about 20 minutes with Italian sausage, basil pesto, Parmesan, and your favorite short pasta. The pasta cooks while the sausage browns, and everything gets tossed together in one skillet with a little reserved pasta water. The result is a simple, flavorful pasta with a silky pesto sauce that coats every bite. It's easy enough for a busy weeknight but still feels like a proper dinner.
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Every summer, my garden seems to produce more basil than I know what to do with, which is really just an excuse to make as much homemade pesto as possible. I love having a batch in the fridge because it can turn a few simple ingredients into dinner in no time. This pesto sausage pasta is one of my favorite ways to use it, with browned Italian sausage, plenty of Parmesan, and short pasta that catches all that pesto sauce. My homemade pesto is perfect here, but a good store-bought pesto works just as well when you need dinner on the table quickly.
There are a couple of little tricks that make this pasta especially good. Reserving some of the starchy pasta water and adding it to the pesto helps create a smooth, silky sauce that coats the pasta instead of sitting heavily on top. I also like to keep the heat low once the pesto goes in so the sauce stays glossy and smooth. When everything comes together, you should have pasta that's lightly coated in pesto, with browned sausage tucked into every bite. It's a simple step that makes a big difference in the finished dish.
Key Ingredients
- Short pasta. Any short pasta will work here. Penne, rigatoni, fusilli, and rotini are all great options. Long pasta will work in a pinch, too.
- Italian turkey sausage. Use hot or sweet depending on your preference. Turkey sausage keeps this pasta a little lighter, but pork Italian sausage works just as well. If you love a good sausage pasta, my creamy Italian sausage pasta is worth making next. You can also use a plant-based Italian sausage.
- Basil pesto. Store-bought pesto makes this an especially quick and easy dinner, but homemade works great, too.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan melts beautifully into the sauce.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Instructions
Step 1
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 7-8 minutes, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Continue cooking until browned and cooked through.
Step 2
Reduce the heat to low. Add the cooked pasta, pesto, and Parmesan to the skillet with the sausage.
Step 3
Toss everything together, adding a little pasta water at a time until the pesto becomes a smooth sauce that coats the pasta. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed. Top with extra Parmesan and serve right away.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Save the pasta water. This is the easiest step to forget, so I like to scoop some out before I even drain the pasta. You can always add more if the sauce needs it.
- Add the pasta water slowly. Start with a few tablespoons and add more as needed. You want the sauce to be silky and glossy, not watery.
- Break the sausage into small pieces. Smaller pieces brown nicely and make it easier to get a little sausage in every bite.
- Don't cook the pesto over high heat. Once everything is combined, keep the heat low. This helps keep the pesto smooth rather than allowing the oil to separate.
- Use hot or sweet sausage. Hot Italian sausage adds a little spice, while sweet sausage keeps things mild and family-friendly.
Serving Suggestions
The classic way to serve this pasta is straight out of the skillet, family-style, with a bowl of extra Parmesan and a pepper grinder on the table so everyone can finish their own plate.
A Spinach and Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette is the easiest pairing. I love how the acidity cuts through the richness of the pesto and sausage, and it takes almost no extra time on a night when you're already short on it, so it's my go-to when I'm rushing dinner to the table. Garlic bread or a crusty baguette is the traditional choice if you want something to mop up that extra sauce left in the pan, and honestly, I rarely skip it. For a lighter, vegetable-forward side, I usually reach for Easy Oven Roasted Broccoli or Crispy Parmesan Air Fryer Frozen Green Beans. Either one rounds out the plate and adds some color without competing with the pesto's flavor. They both come together fast enough that I'll happily fire up a second pan for them on a weeknight.
Storage & Reheating
Fridge: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheating: The pesto sauce will thicken as it cools, so add a splash of water or broth when reheating to loosen it back up. To reheat, warm the pasta gently on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally. You can also microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring between each one.
Freezer: Store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. For the best texture, add a splash of water or broth while reheating to loosen the sauce.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
20-Minute Pesto Sausage Pasta
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See the full post for extra tips and photos
Ingredients
- 12 ounces short-cut pasta, such as rigatoni, penne or fusilli
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
- ¾ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup reserved pasta water, as needed
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey sausage and cook for 7-8 minutes, breaking it into bite-sized pieces, until browned and cooked through.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the drained pasta, pesto, and Parmesan to the skillet. Toss until everything is evenly coated, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until the sauce is smooth and clings to the pasta.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan on top.
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