Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

A quick recipe for shrimp and sausage pasta means that an easy dinner is on the table in about 30 minutes! Full of plump, tender shrimp and zesty Italian sausage, this creamy tomato sauce is a perfect companion for your favorite noodles. Serve the hearty pasta with a simple green salad, a crusty loaf of bread, or garlic roasted broccoli for a flavorful meal that the whole family will love!

Sausage and Shrimp Pasta

Everyone loves Italian night! Even picky little eaters can’t resist the creamy tomato sauce in this easy shrimp and sausage pasta dish. Pair the entrée with a Caesar salad and garlic bread for a feast that’s ready in no time!

Ingredients

This is just a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for a quick sausage and shrimp pasta recipe. As always, specific measurements and step-by-step cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.

• Fresh Italian sausage links: use any variety that you like — sweet, mild, or spicy! If substituting with fully-cooked Italian sausage, you can slice it into rounds and just brown those in the pan.
• Garlic and onion: for savory flavor.
• Olive oil: to brown the sausage and veggies.
• Canned diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano: these Italian-flavored tomatoes add texture and great flavor to the sauce.
• Tomato sauce: the base of the sauce.
• Basil: fresh herbs that brighten up the dish. Use a smaller amount of dried basil in a pinch.
• Shrimp: the recipe calls for raw shrimp, but you can also use cooked shrimp if that’s what’s available. Just stir the cooked shrimp into the pan at the very end (at the same time that you add the cream).
• Heavy cream or half-and-half: gives the sauce a rich, creamy mouthfeel.
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper: to enhance the other flavors in the dish.
• Cooked pasta, for serving: any shape will do! Use a short pasta, such as farfalle (bowties), penne, or rigatoni, or try a traditional spaghetti, fettuccine, or angel hair.

How to make Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

We’re really just using one skillet to prepare a shrimp and sausage tomato sauce that you can toss with your favorite pasta shape. I’ve shown fusilli here, but shrimp and sausage with bow tie pasta is great, or try penne, rotini, rigatoni, or spaghetti! Skip the store-bought jar of marinara, because this cream sauce is sure to become an instant family favorite.

1. Brown the Italian Sausage. First, brown the sausage in a large skillet. Since you’re starting with fresh sausage, make sure that you cook the sausage all of the way through (until it’s no longer pink in the center). Then remove the sausage to a cutting board and slice into rounds.
2. Prepare the Tomato Sauce. In the same skillet, prepare the red sauce with the onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and basil. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
3. Add the Shrimp and Sausage. Stir in the cooked sausage and the raw shrimp, and simmer the sauce just until the shrimp turn pink. This will only take about 3 minutes. Finally, stir in the cream and simmer for about 1 more minute.
4. Serve Over Pasta. Toss the sauce with your favorite pasta that you boil in a large pot of salted water, garnish with Parmesan and fresh herbs (if desired), and enjoy!

What to Serve with Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

This Italian-inspired creamy shrimp and sausage pasta goes well with any of the following easy sides:

• Dutch Oven Bread, No-Knead Overnight Bread, French Baguette, Garlic Bread, Homemade Focaccia Bread, Cheddar Chive Beer Bread (No-Knead and No Yeast), or Breadsticks
• Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits, Sweet Potato Biscuits, 3-Ingredient Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits or Drop Biscuits
• 3-Ingredient Sour Cream Muffins
• Homemade Crescent Rolls or Soft Dinner Rolls
• Antipasto Pasta Salad
• House Salad with Candied Pecans, Mixed Greens with Dijon Vinaigrette, Wedge Salad, Green Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette, or a Classic Caesar Salad
• Vinegar Coleslaw
• Roasted Root Vegetables 
• Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower
• Sautéed Asparagus
• Garlic Roasted Broccoli
• Spinach Casserole or Sauteed Spinach
• Oven Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
• Tomato Salad with Basil and Balsamic
• Fennel Salad with Creamy Cider Dressing
• 3-Ingredient Roasted Yellow Squash
• Okra and Tomatoes
• Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Casserole or Sauteed Zucchini

Preparation and Storage Tips

• Leftover sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freeze the leftover sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I recommend keeping the sauce separate from the pasta, and boiling fresh pasta when you’re ready to serve the sauce again. Cooked pasta doesn’t freeze as well as the sauce. It’s also important to note that the cream in the sauce may separate or “break” when thawed, which can result in an undesirable texture.
• To reheat the shrimp and Italian sausage pasta, place in a saucepan or skillet, cover, and warm over low heat just until the sauce reaches the desired temperature. Be careful not to boil the sauce or reheat it for too long, or the shrimp will become tough and rubbery.

Recipe Variations

• Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta: instead of an Italian flavor, turn the meal into a Cajun dish with a few simple substitutes. Use andouille sausage or kielbasa instead of Italian sausage in the creamy cajun pasta, add diced bell peppers (red bell pepper or green bell pepper will work) to the pan with the onion, swap out the Italian tomatoes for regular diced tomatoes, and season the sauce with Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning, or your own blend of Cajun spices, like paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Spice it up with some cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
• This recipe calls for uncooked sausage (such as these Johnsonville Fresh Sweet Italian Sausage Links); however, you can use precooked Italian sausage instead. Just slice the sausage into rounds first, and then brown in the skillet. It won’t take as long to brown if the sausage is already cooked through.
• Make a Shrimp Sausage Spinach Pasta: add a few cups of baby spinach leaves to the pasta at the very end when you add the cream. The spinach will wilt almost instantly and will add a nice green touch to the dish.
• If you prefer to use cooked shrimp in this sauce, just add the shrimp at the same time that you stir in the cream.
• For a smoother sauce, substitute crushed tomatoes for the diced tomatoes.

Tips for the Best Shrimp Sausage Pasta Recipe

• I used “extra large” shrimp (26-30 count), but any size shrimp will work in this recipe. You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time, since smaller shrimp will cook faster. You know the shrimp is done when it turns pink. Keep a close eye on the pan so that you don’t overcook the shrimp, which will make it tough and rubbery.
• Allow the cream to come to room temperature before adding it to the hot skillet. This will ensure that it doesn’t separate or curdle.
• Serve this sauce with any shape pasta that you prefer. I’ve used fusilli here, but other good options include penne, rigatoni, bowties (farfalle), rotini, angel hair, and spaghetti.
• Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, make it spicy with crushed red pepper flakes, and sprinkle with additional fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, or thyme), if desired.
• Cooking for a smaller family? Cut the ingredients in half. The rest of the recipe instructions remain the same.

More Pasta Recipes with Shrimp and Sausage

• Pasta Fagioli Soup
• Best Spaghetti Sauce
• Shrimp Pasta Salad
• Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta with Broccoli
• Cajun Shrimp Pasta
• Pasta with Sausage and Spinach
• Italian Sausage Pasta
• Baked Rigatoni
• Shrimp Scampi
• Baked Ziti with Sausage

Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

5 from 5 votes

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

0 minutes minutes

Total: 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6 – 8 people

Calories 334.4 kcal

A quick recipe for Shrimp and Sausage Pasta means that an easy dinner is on the table in about 30 minutes!

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Ingredients

  

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 (16-20 ounce) package uncooked sweet Italian sausage
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano, NOT drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 teaspoons fresh minced basil (or ½ teaspoon dried basil)
• 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp (I used “Extra Large” shrimp 26-30 count per pound)
• 1 cup half-and-half or heavy cream, at room temperature
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• Cooked pasta, for serving

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the sausage in the skillet until no longer pink (about 6-8 minutes per side). Remove to a cutting board and slice into rounds.
• In the same skillet, sauté the garlic and onion over medium-high heat until onion is transparent (about 5-7 minutes). Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce and basil. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low. Stir in the sausage and shrimp. Simmer just until the shrimp turn pink (about 3 minutes).
• Stir in the cream and simmer for about 1 more minute, or just until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce over cooked pasta.

Notes

• I used “extra large” shrimp (26-30 count), but any size shrimp will work in this recipe. You’ll just need to adjust the cooking time, since smaller shrimp will cook faster. You know the shrimp is done when it turns pink. Keep a close eye on the pan so that you don’t overcook the shrimp, which will make it tough and rubbery.
• Allow the cream to come to room temperature before adding it to the hot skillet. This will ensure that it doesn’t separate or curdle.
• Serve this sauce with any shape pasta that you prefer. I’ve used fusilli here, but other good options include penne, rigatoni, farfalle (bowties), rotini, angel hair, and spaghetti.
• Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, make it spicy with crushed red pepper flakes, and sprinkle with additional fresh herbs (such as parsley, basil, or thyme), if desired.
• Cooking for a smaller family? Cut the ingredients in half. The rest of the recipe instructions remain the same.
• Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta: instead of an Italian flavor, turn the meal into a Cajun dish with a few simple substitutes. Use andouille sausage or kielbasa instead of Italian sausage in the creamy cajun pasta, add diced bell peppers (red bell pepper or green bell pepper will work) to the pan with the onion, swap out the Italian tomatoes for regular diced tomatoes, and season the sauce with Cajun seasoning, Creole seasoning, or your own blend of Cajun spices, like paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Spice it up with some cayenne pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
• This recipe calls for uncooked sausage (such as these Johnsonville Fresh Sweet Italian Sausage Links); however, you can use precooked Italian sausage instead. Just slice the sausage into rounds first, and then brown in the skillet. It won’t take as long to brown if the sausage is already cooked through.
• Make a Shrimp Sausage Spinach Pasta: add a few cups of baby spinach leaves to the pasta at the very end when you add the cream. The spinach will wilt almost instantly and will add a nice green touch to the dish.
• If you prefer to use cooked shrimp in this sauce, just add the shrimp at the same time that you stir in the cream.
• For a smoother sauce, substitute crushed tomatoes for the diced tomatoes.

Keyword: Easy Shrimp Recipe, Italian Sausage Pasta, shrimp and sausage pasta, shrimp sausage pasta

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Author: Blair Lonergan

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This recipe was originally published in May, 2020. The photos were updated in August, 2022.