Creamy Tomato, Basil, and Sausage Pasta
A Taste of Summer In A Pasta Pot
Creamy Tomato, Basil, and Sausage Pasta is made with all of summer’s bounty, including fresh tomatoes and basil, garlic, and savory sausage. This all simmers together and is finished off with decadent cream to make the perfect pasta sauce for all of your favorite pastas.
If you are the type of person who likes to stand at the stove and dunk fresh bread into a simmering sauce as it cooks, then this Creamy Tomato, Basil, and Sausage Pasta is the dish for you. You can use any tomatoes that you have, but I love the flavor of the cherry or grape tomatoes.
This sauce is meant to be on the thinner side, so make sure you have a loaf of your favorite crusty bread to sop up all the goodness.
Slice Those Tomatoes
I slice the tomatoes in half for a better cooking outcome. If you are using larger tomatoes you can just dice them all into bite sized chunks.
You cannot have too many tomatoes in this recipe. This is a great way to use up tomatoes from your garden.
Tomato Bouillon
Pictured above is the tomato bouillon I always have in my pantry. I love this stuff, it is made by Knorr and it is called Knorr Caldo De Tomate.
You do not have to buy this if you do not want to. You can use chicken bouillon and your tomato powder OR just chicken bouillon.
I use this product in soups and rice and in other sauces to add flavor. You can also use it in your steak taco marinade.
Artichoke Hearts
These are the artichoke hearts that I use. You can omit these from the recipe if you like, but I love the tanginess of the juice that they are in as it really adds something to the sauce.
If you are looking for these in the grocery store, one would assume that they are by the pickles. They are not.
They are usually on the top shelf by the canned vegetables and most of the time by the canned beans.
You may remember that I also use these in my Decadent Vodka Sauce recipe. That is a similar recipe to this one though this one does not have the cheese or the vodka.
The Sauce Is Thin
Do not expect this sauce to be super thick. In fact, I prefer that it is thinner, which is why I use a twisty pasta like Gemelli.
It really holds all the sauce. This is the kind of pasta you should top with cheese and eat with a spoon and have some bread on the side to soak up the sauce.
If you like, you can add the pasta to the sauce and let it simmer a few minutes before serving. I did not do this when I took the pictures, but YOU can.
You can also use shells for this so the cups hold the delicious sauce.
Creamy Tomato, Basil, and Sausage Pasta Recipe
Creamy Tomato, Basil, and Sausage Pasta uses all the best ingredients from summer. Fresh tomatoes, basil, and savory sausage simmers together to make a decadent sauce that is finished off with cream. Perfect over any pasta.
Ingredients
- 4 to 5 cups of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
- Handful of fresh Basil
- 4 to 6 cloves of Garlic
- 1 lb. of mild Italian sausage
- 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil *divided
- 1 to 2 teaspoons of Dried Chili Flakes
- 1/4 cup of Heavy Cream *approximately
- 1 jar of your favorite Marinara (24 ounces)
- 1 jar of marinated and quartered Artichoke Hearts (7.5 ounces) *optional
- 1/2 tablespoon of Chicken Bouillon with Tomato *pictured in post
- 24 ounces of Water + 1/4 cup if needed
- Coarse Salt
- Black Pepper
- 1 lb. box of Gemelli Pasta *cooked according to package directions
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes in half. The amount of tomatoes does not have to be exact, you can use anywhere from 4 to 6 cups of tomatoes *before being cut.
- Add two tablespoons of olive oil to a deep sided skillet. Heat but do not let it get to smoking.
- Peel and crush the cloves of garlic and add the garlic and tomatoes to the skillet. Sprinkle with coarse salt and black pepper.
- Sauté for about five minutes, then reduce heat and cover for twenty minutes. Stir occasionally.
- When the tomatoes are cooked and softened, remove from the pan. Add the remaining olive oil and then add the sausage. I remove the sausage from the casings. Cook until golden brown and fully cooked. Make sure you are breaking up the meat into a crumble.
- Add the jar of artichokes with the juice from the jar. Sauté for about five minutes. Add the chili flakes if using. Sprinkle with the bouillon, then add the cooked tomatoes, the jar of marinara, and the twenty four ounces of water. Add as much basil as you prefer.
- Bring this to a simmer, cover, and simmer on low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and decide if you need to add the additional quarter cup of water. The sauce should be on the thinner side. This is not meant to be a thick sauce. Remember you will be adding heavy cream. Simmer with the lid off for fifteen more minutes. Stir occasionally.
- Taste the sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat and slowly add the cream until it is as creamy as you like. Serve with pasta and a good crusty bread.