Creamy Pea and Sausage Pasta
A creamy and meaty pasta dish lightened with lemon and peas.
Creamy, meaty, and all in one pan, this Creamy Pea and Sausage Pasta checks off all of the savory, satisfying pasta boxes. Layers of flavor are built in the same skillet, creating complexity that doesn’t take all day.
Here, this Creamy Pea and Sausage Pasta is rich but light at the same time, thanks to the additions of lemon zest and peas.
After the sausage is broken down, the onions cook in the rendered fat alongside garlic and a bit of salt. The pan is deglazed with white wine before the cream makes its entry. You don’t need a long time for the sauce to concentrate and reduce. Once it does so, add in the frozen peas followed by the pasta.
A final addition of lemon zest alongside some more salt and pepper, and this pasta is ready to go!
Topping the sausage over the creamy pasta creates a visually satisfying presentation. The sausage and the cream are rich and hearty, while the peas and lemon lighten the dish. The addition of white wine adds a satisfying level of complexity.
It’s the ultimate pasta that you never knew you needed.
Creamy Pea and Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups white wine
- 1 quart (4 cups) heavy cream
- 1 12-ounce bag frozen peas
- 1 box (1 pound) farfalle (bowtie) pasta, cooked according to the package directions
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large nonstick skillet cook sausage, breaking it up with your spatula or spoon until it is broken down into big crumbles. Cook until brown and crispy, about 7 to 10 minutes on medium heat.
- Remove the sausage, leaving the rendered fat. Cook onions in the same pan with some salt until soft, translucent, and tender, about 10 minutes. Add garlic cooking for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add in white wine, making sure to get all of the onion and stuck on sausage bits off of the bottom of the pan.
- Add in cream, bring to a gentle simmer, cooking until it reduces by half, about 6 to 9 minutes.
- Add in peas stirring to combine and defrost, about 2 to 4 minutes.
- Add in pasta, tossing to combine. Season with salt and pepper and add in lemon zest.
- Plate pasta, top with sausage and garnish with parsley, enjoy!