One-Pot Creamy Red Wine Sausage Pasta (Printable)

Spicy sausage and red wine create a creamy, flavorful pasta sauce all in one pot.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 10 oz Italian sausage (mild or spicy), sliced or crumbled, casings removed if desired

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
03 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
05 - 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes

→ Pasta

06 - 10 oz penne or rigatoni

→ Liquids

07 - ½ cup dry red wine
08 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
10 - ½ cup heavy cream

→ Spices & Seasonings

11 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
12 - ½ teaspoon dried basil
13 - ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
14 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

15 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - Fresh basil or parsley, chopped

# Step-by-Step:

01 - Heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking up any large pieces, approximately 3–4 minutes.
02 - Add the onion and bell pepper. Sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
03 - Pour in the red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow to simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
04 - Add the crushed tomatoes, soy sauce, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes (if using), uncooked pasta, and chicken broth. Stir thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
05 - Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 12–14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta reaches al dente consistency and most of the liquid is absorbed.
06 - Stir in the heavy cream and simmer uncovered for another 2–3 minutes, until the sauce becomes creamy and coats the pasta evenly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
07 - Remove from heat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs immediately before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • One pot means one dish to wash, which sounds trivial until you're standing at the sink at 8 PM wishing you'd made cereal instead.
  • The red wine gives it a richness that feels restaurant-worthy but tastes nothing like you're actually trying.
  • Spicy sausage does all the seasoning heavy lifting, so you're not fussing with a dozen small jars.
  • It's ready in 35 minutes, which is actually faster than ordering takeout if you count the delivery driver's arrival time.
02 -
  • If you add the cream too early or the heat's too high, it can break and get weirdly separated—always add it at the very end on low heat and just warm it through.
  • Soy sauce in Italian cooking sounds weird until you taste it, and then you realize it was the missing link that made everything taste like restaurant food.
  • Don't overcrowd the pot when browning the sausage or it'll steam instead of brown, and steamed sausage is a tragedy you don't want to experience.
03 -
  • Don't skip the soy sauce step—it's a tiny amount that somehow makes everything taste more like itself, richer and deeper without any salty alarm bells.
  • Remove the sausage casing before cooking so you get those beautiful browned bits rather than rubber casings floating around in your sauce.
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