Italian Sausage Pasta with Crispy Prosciutto is made with fire-roasted tomatoes, and a white wine reduction take a 30-minute weeknight pasta to a level you'd expect at a real Italian restaurant - and once you make it this way, the basic version won't cut it anymore.
Love sausage and pasta? You might also like Creamy Cajun Chicken and Sausage Pasta and Creamy Sausage Tortellini.
Italian sausage pasta is a weeknight staple, but this version earns a permanent spot in your rotation. What sets it apart: crispy prosciutto cooked directly in the skillet, fire-roasted tomatoes layered into the sauce, and a white wine reduction that deepens every bite. The base is a rich parmesan cream sauce built with fresh garlic, sautéed onions, and baby spinach - and it comes together in one pan in 30 minutes. Rigatoni is the pasta of choice here because its ridges grab every drop of the sauce.
I used Italian sausage in this Sausage Bolognese à la Vodka. What's even better is that creamy parmesan sauce comes in tandem with finely minced sautéed onions and garlic, and a splash of white wine!
If you love pasta dishes as much as I do, try 10 Best Pasta Recipes next.
What kind of pasta to use for this Italian dish
You will love rigatoni in this creamy pasta dish! Rigatoni is a big, ridged, tubular type of pasta. I love its texture in this cheesy pasta sauce. The ridges in the noodle help catch the sauce, giving every bite a punch of flavor. Definitely go for rigatoni!
If rigatoni is unavailable for some reason, my second choice is penne. Even though it's a smaller tubular type of pasta, it will work great with the Parmesan cheese sauce.
How to Make Italian Sausage Pasta with Prosciutto
Very easy! This was such a delicious pasta dinner inspiration for me that I cannot wait to hear what everyone else has to say about it. Italian sausage and pasta do go together very well.
You will start by cooking pasta according to package instructions (see How to Cook Pasta Al Dente for more insight on pasta cooking levels).
How to Cook Prosciutto Perfectly
Add the prosciutto slices to a cold dry skillet and bring the heat up to medium. No oil needed - prosciutto has enough fat to render on its own, and a cold start prevents burning. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side until deep pink and starting to crisp at the edges. It won't get chip-crispy in the pan - it firms up and crisps fully as it cools. Remove it to a paper towel-lined plate, let it rest for 2 minutes, then crumble it into pieces.
Don't skip this step. The fond left in the pan from the prosciutto is where a huge amount of flavor lives - the sausage goes straight into those drippings, and the wine deglazes all of it into the sauce.-
How to Build the White Wine Reduction
After the sausage is cooked and the onions and garlic are soft, pour in the white wine and immediately scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. That fond is flavor - get all of it. Keep the heat at medium-high and let the wine simmer actively for 2 to 3 minutes until reduced by about half. You'll know it's ready when the sharp alcohol smell fades and the liquid looks slightly syrupy at the edges.
Don't rush this. A wine reduction that hasn't fully cooked down will make your sauce watery and the raw alcohol taste will carry through to the finished dish. Two to three full minutes of active simmering - not a gentle warm - is what you need.
Use a dry white wine you'd actually drink: Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay all work well. Avoid cooking wine from a bottle - it's salted and throws off the balance of the whole sauce.
How to Make the Fire-Roasted Tomato Parmesan Cream Sauce
Once the wine has reduced, add the fire-roasted tomatoes and stir them into the reduction. Let them cook for 1 to 2 minutes to concentrate slightly before adding the cream.
Pour in the heavy cream and reduce the heat to medium - you want a steady, gentle simmer with small bubbles around the edges, not a rolling boil.
Add the parmesan in two stages, stirring after each addition to let it melt fully before adding more. This prevents clumping and gives you a smoother, glossier sauce.
Add the spinach in the last 2 minutes before the pasta goes in - it wilts fast and loses its color if it cooks too long. Once the sauce has reached your desired consistency, add the cooked rigatoni directly from the pot using tongs, bringing a small splash of pasta water with it. That starchy water helps the sauce cling to the pasta and smooths out any thick spots.
Finish with the crumbled prosciutto folded in at the very end so it stays textured rather than going soft in the sauce.
Taste check! Right before you add sausage and prosciutto back into the pan, make sure to taste the sauce and add more seasoning if necessary. If you want a little kick to the sauce, you can also add crushed red pepper flakes at this point. I simply add black pepper because it gives just enough flavor and is not overwhelming.
Italian Sausage Pasta with Cripsy Proscuitto
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb. Italian sausage
- 4 oz. Prosciutto (chopped)
- ½ onion (diced)
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- 5 oz. fresh baby spinach (about 2 cups)
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup white wine
- 14.5 oz. fire-roasted tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 10 oz rigatoni pasta
- 2 tablespoon Parsley (chopped)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet (cast iron or stainless steel). Brown the Italian sausage first, then add Prosciutto towards the end of browning the sausage (about 3-4 minutes). Once cooked, remove both to a paper towel-lined plate, set aside.
- Add the onion, saute until translucent. Next add the garlic and saute another minute, until fragrant. Now add spinach and cook until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour in the wine and cook the alcohol off slightly, about 2 minutes. Now add fire-roasted tomatoes. Lower the heat, stir in the heavy cream.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer just a bit, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Next add cooked Prosciutto and Italian sausage. Simmer a bit again, to heat them up.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Drain the pasta and add it into the pan. Stir well to coat. Add chopped parsley.
- Serve with extra Parmesan on top.
Why didn't my sauce thicken?
Two common culprits: the heat was too low after adding the cream, or the sauce was rushed before the wine fully reduced. Make sure the wine reduces for a full 2-3 minutes before you add tomatoes - that reduction is what gives the sauce body.
Once cream is in, keep the heat at a gentle simmer (not a full boil) and give the parmesan 2-3 minutes to melt in and tighten the sauce. If it's still thin, let it simmer uncovered an extra minute before adding the pasta.
Why did my pasta taste bland?
Salt your pasta water generously - it should taste like the sea. The sauce relies on parmesan's saltiness, but if your pasta water was under-salted, the final dish will taste flat no matter how well-seasoned the sauce is.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Can You Make It Ahead?
Yes - cook the sauce completely but stop before adding the pasta. Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, then cook fresh pasta when ready to serve. Pasta that sits in cream sauce overnight absorbs the liquid and turns mushy.
How to Reheat Without Breaking the Cream Sauce
Add leftover pasta to a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken broth or heavy cream. Stir constantly for 3 to 4 minutes until warmed through. Never reheat on high heat or bring to a boil - that's what causes cream sauce to separate and turn grainy.
Can You Freeze It?
Freeze the sauce only (not the pasta) for up to 2 months. Cream sauces separate when frozen, so when reheating, whisk in a splash of fresh heavy cream over low heat to bring it back together, then cook fresh pasta to serve.
Substitutions and Variations
No Wine? Here's What to Use Instead: Substitute chicken broth plus 1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar - this replicates both the liquid and the acidity the wine provides. Chicken broth alone works too, with slightly less depth.
Can You Use Half-and-Half Instead of Heavy Cream? You can, but the sauce will be thinner. If substituting, reduce the quantity slightly, simmer longer, and whisk in 1 teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in cold water to compensate for the lower fat content.
How to Make It Spicy: Swap in hot Italian sausage and add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes with the garlic. For full heat, add a diced Calabrian chili with the garlic - or finish the bowl with a drizzle of Calabrian chili oil, which works well for households where spice tolerance varies.
Enjoy Italian Sausage and Spinach Pasta with a glass of wine!
Patricia says
I tried this at an Italian chop house so I wanted to try at home. OMG, this is so delicious. I did not have white wine, used chicken stock instead, and this turned into my go to for summer 2026. It was perfect, delicious and smells amazing. Yes, I used twice the amount of garlic. Perfect with a summer wine and tossed salad, on patio. enjoy. I sure did have have leftovers for lunch today!
Olya Shepard says
I approve of the twice amount of garlic! Thank you so much!
Arina says
Delicious!
Sara says
I’m not sure what happened but this was awful. No flavor. The sauce didn’t thicken at all and I added butter. I used plenty of spices and still nothing.
Olga says
Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning should do the trick seasoning wise. Also do not be afraid to use more salt. depending on how long you cook it, salt will evaporate. So adding more want cause your blood pressure to spike:).
Jusrina6 says
Could you use half and half instead to cut down on calories?
Olga says
Yes, I've done that before with half and half.
Daniel V says
I hate cooked spinach, but have a ton of fresh basil in my garden, and I love basil. Do you think if would be over powering if I replaced the spinach with basil?
Olga says
Probably use about 20-25 leaves of basil and it will taste great! That's what I usually use in my other recipes when not using spinach.
Daniel V says
Thanks, I will give it a try this week
Andrea says
Made this tonight and it was pretty good. The prosciutto was lost among the cream and sausage and onions and really quite useless. I would leave it out if I make it again. Also, in step 2, calling the onion and garlic mixture “sauce” was really quite confusing - it lead me to think that the tomatoes needed to go in, so I put them in after the garlic was sautéed. Not a big deal, just confusing.
Olga says
Good idea. I will update.