Description
This Creamy Sausage Gemelli Pasta is a rich and comforting dish featuring savory mild Italian sausage, tender mushrooms, and shallots simmered with white wine and heavy cream. Tossed with gemelli pasta and brightened by fresh thyme and a pinch of crushed red pepper, this dish offers a perfect balance of flavors and textures, finished with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage and Vegetables
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian Sausage
- 2 small shallots, finely diced
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
Liquid and Seasonings
- 1 ½ cups dry white wine
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- Pinch nutmeg (optional)
Pasta
- 12 ounces dry gemelli pasta (or any medium shape pasta)
Finishing
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Cook Sausage and Vegetables: Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bulk mild Italian sausage and cook until it is lightly browned but not fully cooked, stirring to crumble the meat evenly. Then add the finely diced shallots and sliced mushrooms, continuing to cook until the shallots and mushrooms are soft and the sausage is fully cooked through.
- Reduce Wine: Pour in the dry white wine and add the bay leaf to the sausage mixture. Simmer over medium heat until the wine liquid is reduced by half, which should take about 15 to 20 minutes. This concentrates the flavors and melds the ingredients.
- Cook Pasta: While the wine is reducing, prepare the gemelli pasta according to the package instructions. Be sure to reserve about â…“ cup of the pasta cooking liquid before draining. Set the cooked pasta aside.
- Make Cream Sauce: Stir in the heavy cream, fresh thyme leaves, crushed red pepper flakes, and optional pinch of nutmeg into the reduced wine and sausage mixture. Continue to cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and becomes creamy and luscious.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked gemelli pasta to the creamy sausage sauce. Stir well to combine and heat through. If the sauce appears too thick or dry, gradually add the reserved pasta cooking water one tablespoon at a time to loosen it to your preferred consistency.
- Serve: Dish the creamy sausage gemelli pasta onto plates or a serving bowl. Top generously with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sprinkle additional crushed red pepper flakes as desired for extra heat and brightness.
Notes
- You can substitute gemelli pasta with other medium-shaped pasta like penne or fusilli if desired.
- Use mild Italian sausage for a mellow flavor or spicy sausage for added heat.
- Reserving pasta water is key to adjusting the sauce consistency perfectly.
- Fresh thyme can be swapped with dried thyme, but reduce the quantity to about 1 teaspoon if dried.
- The pinch of nutmeg is optional but adds a warm, subtle depth to the cream sauce.
- Pair the dish with a green salad and crusty bread for a complete meal.
