This Cherry Tomato and Chicken Sausage Pasta is a quick, easy weeknight meal that comes together in about 25 minutes. Bright cherry tomatoes, fresh basil and a hint of garlic give it vibrant summer flavor, while chicken sausage adds satisfying protein. Serve with a simple salad or crusty bread for a complete dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This pasta is fast, forgiving, and full of fresh flavor. It works with many pasta shapes and can be made with raw or pre-cooked chicken sausage. The tomato sauce is light and driven by fresh cherry tomatoes, so it feels like summer even on a busy weeknight.
Ingredients
- Pasta: 8 ounces of your favorite pasta—rotini, penne, ziti or spirali all work well.
- Chicken Sausage: 1/2 pound mild Italian chicken sausage. Remove the casing and crumble raw sausage as it cooks, or slice and brown pre-cooked sausage.
- Cherry Tomatoes: 1 pint, quartered. These simmer into a simple, fresh sauce.
- Garlic: 2 cloves, minced.
- Olive Oil: 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon, divided.
- Seasoning: Sea salt and a dash of crushed red pepper to taste.
- Toppings: Fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
- Wipe the skillet with a damp paper towel. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and reduce heat to low. Sauté the garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant and lightly golden.
- Add the quartered cherry tomatoes to the skillet, season with sea salt, and simmer over low to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes while the pasta cooks. The tomatoes will soften and release their juices into a light sauce.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water before draining.
- Return the cooked sausage to the skillet with the tomatoes. Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Gradually stir in the reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce and help it cling to the pasta. Add a dash of crushed red pepper if you like a little heat.
- Serve immediately topped with fresh basil and grated parmesan.
More Pasta Recipes
- Bruschetta Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Vegetable Pasta
- Lemon Kale Pasta with Salmon
- Butternut Squash Pasta with Pancetta
Cherry Tomato and Chicken Sausage Pasta
5 from 1 review
- Author: Nicole | Fresh Apron
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Dishes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Cherry Tomato and Chicken Sausage Pasta is an everyday meal that’s quick to make and full of fresh, summery flavors. The simple tomato sauce comes together in the pan while the pasta cooks, making dinner fast and low-effort.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta
- 1/2 pound mild Italian chicken sausage, casing removed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- Sea salt, to taste
- Dash of crushed red pepper
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up, until cooked through and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Wipe the skillet clean, then heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the cherry tomatoes and season with sea salt. Simmer until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining.
- Add the pasta and sausage to the skillet with the tomatoes. Stir in the reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats the pasta. Add crushed red pepper if desired.
- Serve topped with fresh basil and grated parmesan.
Equipment
Garlic press (optional)
Large skillet
Wooden spoon
Notes
You can use pre-cooked sausage if you prefer—slice and brown before adding to the pasta. If the raw sausage browns too quickly, add a splash of water to the pan to prevent burning and to help release browned bits.
Nutrition figures are approximate and will vary based on ingredients and portion sizes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 306
- Sugar: 3.5 g
- Sodium: 750.1 mg
- Fat: 8.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.1 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 12.6 g
- Cholesterol: 14.4 mg