This delicious cheesy sausage pasta dish has a tomato cream sauce. It's like macaroni for grown-ups!
This can be very good, but I have to say that 16 oz. of pasta is way too much here and the sauce needed a bit of work. I used half the amount of pasta (basically half a box of penne). I sauteed 1/2 cup of vidallia onion in 1 tbsp. of olive oil along with garlic. I used more than a tsp. and left out the bell pepper because I didn't have any on hand. I used two 14.5 oz. cans of seasoned diced tomatoes and one 6 oz. can of tomatoe paste to give it some thickness. I added some additional dried seasonings (basil, oregano, italian seasoning) to taste along with 1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes. I fried the sausage (crumbled out of the casing) separately and added that to the sauce to avoid any greasiness. I let that simmer for about an hour and added the cup of heavy cream at the end and let that simmer on low. I served this over the pasta, garnished with fresh parsley and topped with grated parmesan vs. adding the cheese to the sauce.
Read MoreThis can be very good, but I have to say that 16 oz. of pasta is way too much here and the sauce needed a bit of work. I used half the amount of pasta (basically half a box of penne). I sauteed 1/2 cup of vidallia onion in 1 tbsp. of olive oil along with garlic. I used more than a tsp. and left out the bell pepper because I didn't have any on hand. I used two 14.5 oz. cans of seasoned diced tomatoes and one 6 oz. can of tomatoe paste to give it some thickness. I added some additional dried seasonings (basil, oregano, italian seasoning) to taste along with 1/4 tsp. of red pepper flakes. I fried the sausage (crumbled out of the casing) separately and added that to the sauce to avoid any greasiness. I let that simmer for about an hour and added the cup of heavy cream at the end and let that simmer on low. I served this over the pasta, garnished with fresh parsley and topped with grated parmesan vs. adding the cheese to the sauce.
I made a few alterations. Doubled the recipe, using one lb hot italian sausage, one lb mild. Added an extra pepper and used half & half instead of heavy cream. After I had sweated the garlic, onions and peppers, I added the tomatoes and pureed them with a stick blender. (My family likes a smoother sauce.) Because I had blended the veggies, I browned the sausage in a seperate pan. I surprised the heck out of my husband with this dish. He is not a fan of peppers in cream sauce. While I was cooking he was standing over my shoulder saying "don't do it, there will be problems at the dinner table if you do." Meaning that the kids (ages 6&9) wouldn't like it. Well it was a hit. Hubby went back for seconds, with a sheepish look on his face after giving me grief while I was preparing dinner. I'm glad I made a double batch, because now I can pull the extra sauce out of the freezer for a quick week-night dinner.
This was great! My friends loved it. Only change was that I cooked the sausage then added the onions, peppers and mushrooms to cook - I don't like mushy vegetables so I also set this aside and cooked the sauce alone. Added everything together and it was wonderful. Also if you like spicy - try adding some red pepper to the dish, it's amazing.
I used Italian link sausage cut into 1/2 inch slices instead of the crumbles and it was amazing! I love this recipe.
I used spaghetti instead of the shells and chicken breast instead of the sausage- only because that's what I had- and boy, was this great! The parmesan blends so nicely with the tomato flavor.
was very good. I added mushrooms and used half and half instead of heavy cream.
I have no clue why anyone would give a bad rating to a recipe judging solely by a picture - which the author of the recipe did not even submit. Guess that's why I don't always go by the rating when looking for a recipe!! This is a fantastic recipe as is.
Delicious just the way it is. My husband and sons loved it. To the person that added all the tomatoes and the paste, it a cream sauce recipe, not red sauce. You are making a totally different recipe. Try this one as written and see what you think first. Just sayin..............!!
This was good. Everyone enjoyed it. I would have prefered it be a little cheesier so I think next time I will add more parmesan cheese or do parmesan and mozzarella.
My husband loved it and it was easy! This is definitely a keeper! I don't know if the pepper added anything to the dish, so if you don't have one don't go running out just for that. I finely chopped a shallot, instead of minced onion, to give it a sweeter taste. I also added red pepper flakes to spice it up. I used italian sausage because I did not have bulk. It made prep time a little longer because you have to brown them before cutting them into slices, but it worked out nicely. If it doesn't thicken up the way you expect, don't worry the cheese will thicken it up. Enjoy!
To Firemom's question about the pasta shape and "green stuff" shown in the picture given: The recipe was submitted by DoughertyD yet when I checked out all 5 photos none were submitted by DoughertyD. I have made recipes from this site in the past with no pic posted so the pics that were later posted were from cooks other than the one whom originally submitted the recipe (possibly without a pic). Recipes may be tweaked/changed by each individual cook according to taste and/or indgredients on hand. The "green stuff" looks to me like green pepper replacing the orange pepper and the bow-tie pasta shown I find attractive. Cooking should be fun. Experiment and see how your palate reacts. A good place to start is by reading the reviews for alternate ideas and tips if you're looking to change up a dish a little bit.
I had some left over chicken sausage and was looking for a recipe to use it in. This turned out great! Used penne instead of shells, and substituted half and half for the heavy cream. Added mushrooms and red pepper for color, plus some red pepper flakes for a kick. Turned out fabulous!
Yummy. I had to use a green pepper instead of an orange since that is what I had on hand. Also added extra garlic and some onion powder. I was a little short on the parm so I used about a 1/2 cup of mozzarella too. Thanks for the recipe.
This was an excellent dish. My family really enjoyed it. The only changes I made were I used fire roasted diced tomatoes, a yellow bell pepper and I used Hot Italian Sausage to give it an extra kick. Thanks for such a great recipe. We will use this many times I am sure!
WoW!!! This was GREAT! This is one of my new faves! Did make it without the tomatoes because I didnt have any!
I made a few modifications to suit my taste and what I had on hand. I used gemelli pasta, and my own homemade sausage, added mushrooms as others suggested, used fresh grape tomatoes instead of stewed, half and half cream, and grated Asiago cheese. It was delicious!! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I followed the recipe exactly the first time I made this, and it was an instant family favorite. If we don't have a pepper on hand, I often make it without and it's still excellent. It's a perfect one-dish comfort food for cold winter meals; it's a perfect one-dish meal for hot summer days.
Made mine with bow tie pasta as well, and added green, red and orange peppers. I also added some extra onion (Vidalia) and used half and half hot italian and mild italian sausage along with some freshly cracked pepper. Delish!
Very tasty. I omitted the bell pepper since my kids are not big fans and upped the onion to a 1/2 cup, diced. Used bow tie pastas, half and half instead of heavy cream, and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.
Made pretty much as the recipe dictated and it came out great! I added about a teaspoon of Italian Seasoning and a few hot pepper flakes.
Excellent. I made a few subsitutions. I used Chicken sausage, half and half and Penne.
Quick, tasty and simple! I used half the amount of pasta, skipped the oil and bell pepper and subbed diced tomatoes with garlic instead of the stewed with separate garlic. So good and so easy - thanks for this recipe!
Amazing! Super simple and bursting with flavor. I will never cook hamburger helper again!
My family loved this! And it was fairly easy to make! I try to follow the recipe to a T at least the first time I make it, and the changes I made, I don't think were changed the integrity of the dish. I used bow tie pasta instead of shells. And I doubled the recipe so I used an orange pepper and a yellow pepper. I also cut up the tomatoes because the whole tomatoes wouldn't fly with some of my kids. It was great, and I will be making again. Thanks for the recipe.
I wasn't sure if this would be any good, but wanted to try something different and I was pleasantly surprised. My husband liked it and it was good as leftovers too. I followed the recipe exactly except I used chopped onions, instead of minced, and rotini twists for the pasta. I don't know how people can rate/review this if they didn't even use peppers or cheese. It wouldn't even be the same recipe anymore. I highly suggest adding the cheese to the sauce like the recipe calls for. And I also noticed that the parsley actually made a difference too because I did not use it at first.
This was quite good and very simple. I cooked the pepper and onion with the sausage. I used an entire handful of fresh parsley and about 1 1/2 cups of cheese. It was great, thanks for sharing. This would be easy to change into so many other dishes by altering the spices and the meats. It's a great dish.
we thought this was pretty good, but it needs some more flavor...a few spices, and it would have been a good dish. thanks!
This was more than I had anticipated. I made a few substitutions to make it a little bit healthier. I used hot turkey italian sausage and half & half instead of heavy cream. I also used wheat rotini which helped the visual appeal of the dish. I was hesitant about the orange peppers but they worked perfectly. This is going in the cookbook for sure. Thanks!
This was very tasty but I had some trouble getting the sauce to thicken. I ended up using more cheese and added about a tsp of cornstarch to get the sauce to thicken.
This may not be the prettiest of dishes, but it sure is good. I made this for dinner, and my family loved it. I used large sausage links, and cut them down the center for better cooking. Great recipe.
I halved the recipe, used 1/2 of a small onion, & blended the canned tomatoes. Really tasty.
Quick and easy meal to make. I recommend adding a bit of heat to the meal (I added cayanne to give it a bit of a kick). And I used a mix of cheeses (Italian four blend) to give it more flavor. Loved it and it was really easy to make on a busy week day night.
My husband and I loved this! Used Ragu instead of stewed tomatoes b/c didn't have any on hand. Added fresh marinated mozzarella balls and cooked until all melted - delish!
Very, very tasty! I think next time, instead of using Parmesan cheese, I'm either going to use a block of cream cheese or toss in some velveeta cheese.
Great, fast little dish. I made this as a way to use up my Italian Sausage and hunk of blue cheese. I substituted half and half along with fresh diced tomatoes, sliced my sausage links very fine, and voila! Tasty and I've put half of it in the freezer to use later with fresh pasta.
Easy, tasty, and the entire family likes it. This is a great change from spaghetti. Thanks!
This was a delicious easy meal that the whole family liked. I did make a few changes to the original recipe though. Instead of shells, I used Rotini. I omitted the onion. I used rosemary chicken sausage. Instead of heavy cream I used evaporated milk. I added about 1-2 tsp of Italian seasoning. I will definitely make this again.
This was an excellent dish. I used green peppers instead of red. If I was to make it again, I would add some flour and butter to thicken the sauce. It seemed to be a little runny. All and all a good meal.
Very Good recipe; actually it is a GREAT recipe. The only thing I did different is I added about a tablespoon of Italian seasoning and a couple extra cloves of garlic. Thanks for sharing this recipe, it is appreciated!!
This was very good recipe. I cooked the sausage by itself and put it in a strainer and let the grease drip off. I used about a half a cup of Mozzarella cheese. I also used about 2/3 the pasta as another poster mentioned. It definitely served 8 people even with the smaller about of pasta. I also made some breadstick that I found on another website called the best homemade breadsticks EVER! and they were the best ever!!
My daughter never eats anything and she had three helping! I put half of the cream it called for and it was quick, easy, and super delicious. I'll definitely make it again.
My husband and I really liked this recipe. I did a few different things: I used bowtie pasta, chicken sausage, and made my own stewed tomatoes. I think I may try grilled chicken next time. But the sauce was just right!
Like others, I used half and half instead of cream to cut fat and calories. Also added some red pepper flakes to really spice it up. Also, if you have it, a Tblspn of tomato pesto really bumps up the sauce.
The cream sauce is great. I added my own spices - basil, pepper, red pepper flakes and oregano. I added diced instead of stewed tomatoes. My sauce simmered on the stove for a while as I waited for my husband to get home from work. End result was awesome!
This was great! I used chicken sausage (less fat), fire roasted tomatoes, whole milk instead of cream, and a diced green pepper instead of a sliced orange pepper. I also added salt, pepper, and thyme. I will definitely make this again!
This really was excellent! I followed the recipe exactly, and it could almost pass for something at an Italian restaurant (as others have said). I'm not much of a sausage-lover, and I still really enjoyed it. My husband (who is a sausage-lover) raved.
Husband, 2yo son and Grandpa LOVED it! Super easy! For a working Mom, 5 stars for sure!
I thought this was very tasty. I did not have a pepper so I used all onion, and half n half in place of heavy cream. I also used fettucine because I didn't have anything else. Added a little crushed red pepper just for some kick, and salted it for flavor. It was really good, and my husband really liked it too. I will definitely make this again!
I made this for dinner last night and even my super picky 11 year old had seconds! It is very very good! The only changes I made was to brown the sausage first and then add the veggies. I also used a Vidalia onion, Green Bell Pepper, and Mozzerella cheese. I also used one can Chunky Ro-tel instead of stewed tomatoes whch gave it a spicy kick! Also used about 10 oz pasta instead of 16. Great Recipe, fast and easy, and will be used again!
I will give this 5 stars because my husband really liked it. Im not a huge fan of sausage. Followed the recipe close to exact minus some of the pasta, used about 3/4 of the full amount. I may try this with chicken nex time.
Loved this recipe! It can be easily changed to personal tastes. I did use the pound of pasta, but upped the cream to 3 cups, boiling the sausage, veggies and cream until thickened before adding the pasta. I had a garden green pepper and yellow squash on hand, so that's the veggies I used. Very colorful, very flavorful! I also changed the tomatoes to diced. Excellent!
This was good but too much sausage. It was mainly just sausage. I would half it and double the veggies and sauce next time.
Well I changed it a little I used cut up hot sausage and 2 cans of diced tomatoes 1 1/2 cups of cream a bit more garlic My guy likes things saucy . and it was as good as all the raves.Forgot to salt pasta water so that is what it needed.
Loved this recipe, but next time would add the noodles slowly and mix. A full package was a little too much noodles.
This was surprisingly very good consindering it was so simple and the ingredients seemed a little different I used small shells, but would use penne pasta next time, to make it a little fancier.
Yummo! Quick.easy and delish lunch. Thanks for sharing! I made it exactly as recipe read. You could spice it up or add stuff to it, but I liked it just as it is :)
yum...I used cream cheese instead of heavy cream and tinned it with a little chick stock:)
I wouldn't say that this is my favorite dish. But it is very good. My husband referred to it as "Homemade Hamburger Helper" made with sausage. I would possible make this again. Made as directed.
This came out great!! I also added mushrooms and used half and half. I also substituted penne. It ws effortless and delicious!
Loved this dish! I had left over cooked hot sausages and this was the perfect fit. It made a wonderful creamy sauce. Even using the hot sausage, the red pepper flakes were a must! I didn't use quite as much parm cheese, just added it in until the right consistancy and taste. Will make again.
I had made the pasta twice and my fmaily loved it! The first time was fine but I used the parmesan cheese. It tasted pretty strong BUT when we had leftover next day, it was richly delcious. Last time I made it with the mozz. cheese instead, The taste was so much better and delicious! I used the stewed tomato twice. It was so good! It is one of our favorite meals! Also it is a great budget.
Pretty good. Found that this recipe relied too heavily on the parmesan cheese for flavor. My husband doesn't care for it too much so I went lightly on it for his sake and it was bland. I should have added salt to make up for it. I used Italian chicken sausage which I mostly cooked before throwing in the vegetables rather than the other way around. I'd make again with some modifications. Mushrooms would have made this dish better but I forgot to buy some.
Easy to make and full of flavor. The perfect comfort food for mac & cheese lovers. I could eat this every day!
Good thing I doubled this recipe, my family loved it and wanted seconds! Very good!
Delish! I substituted 1% milk for the cream and put that together with the stewed tomatoes in the food processor before adding into the mixture to lighten it up a bit and it was fantastic. LOVED this recipe!
My family greatly enjoyed this! I used a can of Italian diced tomatoes instead of the plain stewed tomatoes (it was all I had at the time) and it worked great! We will add this to the recipe box and make it again! Like my girls say, "It's a keeper".
This is a family favorite at our house!!! I did change a few things....I omit the bell peppers, I use a can of the italian stewed tomatoes & a run them threw the food processor (kiddo doesn't like big tomato chucks), I add some red pepper flakes & I also use a sweet italian sausage. I also only use about 3/4 of the box of pasta. This is a super easy recipe & if I have all the ingredients on hand my teenager will make it himself during the day instead of eating junk food!!
This was a hit. I skipped the sautéing. I used a can of "diced tomatoes with green pepper and onion" which I pureed and added garlic powder for flavor. I used light cream. Stirred in the pasta and sliced mild Italian sausage. Easy to prepare.
I used regular bulk sausage for this, but should have used Italian sausage. My husband really liked it and we will try this again with sweet Italian sausage! Used fat-free half and half and it worked just fine. Thanks for the recipe.
This is pretty good but I felt like it was missing something. I used bow tie pasta and took some other posters suggestions and added a bit of salt, pepper, touch of red pepper flakes and some italian seasoning which definitely helped. I also used a yellow pepper since I didn't have orange. All in all with the tweaks I made, I enjoyed it but I still think it needs something else to really capture the flavor.
It is very good, we used bow tie pasta instead of the shells. Next time I want to add mushrooms instead of the bell pepper!! It would also be a good potluck dish to take.
i was really surprised at this one,, i usually dont put reviews on here. i used lactose free milk ( since i cant have heavy cream) and thickened it with flour and cornstarch, and did add some red pepper flakes,, served it over bowtie pasta,, it was really pretty good,, i did add some frozen peas and a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes for color and flavor,, i would make it again just like that,, maybe just add a bit to the milk/flour mixture for more sauce.
I accidently bought the Super Extra large shells, and i added sauted muhrooms, and more onions than called for.. it was AWESOME! perfect dish to set aside and freeze for lunches for work! I will most definatly be making this again, and again, and again! i also omitted the pepers, im not a fan of cooked pepers. and threw in a bit of italian seasoning
it was good but I'll try it next time using Fresh home made stewed tomatoes.(Fresh stuff is always much tastier).
This is a really tasty pasta dish, I will definitely make it again! I also used half and half instead of heavier cream, and would add mushrooms next time too.
I missed reading the reviews that said not enough sauce. Wish I would've read that but I'll know for next time I make it. Family liked it. I added salt and pepper.
I added some fresh basil, oregano and since I doubled it I used 1 lb mild Italian. sausage and 1 lb hot italian sausage. I also browned it separate from the veggies and then combined. Used small rigatoni. It was delicious . Pleased my large Italian family yesterday (Sunday dinner). Great change from traditional Sunday meal. Complimented with home made bread, stuffed artichokes and Ceaser salad!!!
Very tasty and full of flavor. Was a little dry so I added about 1/2 cup of mozzarella for a more creamy texture. Will make it again.
Made the recipe as shown other than using 24oz of med shells instead of 16oz. it was delicious! My three year old ate it up.
Made this for a station full of firefighters and they loved it, great recipe. I did start the sausage first though, that was my only change.
This was good! and easy to make. I did everything as written, only I had to use light cream because it was all I had on hand. Thanks!
This is a keeper. The only changes I made was to cut recipe in half, since it would be way too much for one person. I added some basil , oregano, and parsley, and used red bell pepper instead of orange for more flavor. Since I was doing this from memory, not having a print out to refer to, I used shredded cheddar, and used the jar graded seasoned parmasan cheese since I had it on hand, and I forgot the heavy cream, oops! The only thing I will do different next time is to transfer everything to my stockpot, since I almost overflowed the skillet! Oh, i added a little salt.
Awesome! We like it with hot Italian sausage for a kick! And I use a little more cheese than stated.
