This easy rotini pasta recipe is made in less than 30 minutes, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner with the family. The one pot dish is made with Italian sausage, grape tomatoes, and fresh basil for a delicious and filling meal that everyone is sure to love. For a quick overview of this recipe, check out my recipe for this easy rotini pasta recipe!
A quick and easy pasta recipe is always on the dinner rotation at our house. Everyone loves pasta and it's so easy to whip up. I love that pasta can be so versatile and there are literally a million different ways to make it. This pasta dish is on the lighter side but also very filling, which makes it perfect for any time of year.
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🍝 Ingredient notes
- Pasta - I used rotini pasta for this recipe, however, penne, rigatoni, or even macaroni noodles would work as well!
- Italian sausage - The local grocery store by our house sells both chicken and pork Italian sausage in both the sweet and spicy varieties. I used sweet ground chicken italian sausage for this recipe, but if you like things a bit zestier, try spicy! Sliced sausage can also be used as well if you like.
- Tomatoes - Grape tomatoes are my favorite for this recipe. They are small, cook relatively quickly, and are easy to eat. Alternatively, cherry tomatoes can also be used. If you decide to use larger tomatoes that are cut into smaller pieces, they will only need about a minute to heat through. Cooking them any longer than that will make them mushy.
- Basil - Fresh basil is tossed in at the end for extra flavor, color, and freshness. Dried basil can be used as well, however, I recommend adding that in when you add the tomatoes and garlic to give it some extra time to release its flavor.
🔪 Step by step instructions
Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium high heat and then stir in the salt and pasta. Cook the pasta till al dente or about 8 minutes. Al dente means that the pasta is cooked through, but is not mushy and has a slight bite to it. Drain the cooked pasta and set it aside.
Return the same pot back to the heat and add in the olive oil and italian sausage. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is just browned.
Add in the tomatoes and fresh garlic and cook until the tomatoes just start to burst.
Add the cooked rotini pasta and the fresh basil into the pot with the sausage and tomatoes and toss everything to combine.
Serve finished pasta with more fresh basil or parmesan cheese!
⭐ Top tip
Make sure to cook your pasta in salted water to flavor your pasta for the best end result.
📖 Recipe
Rotini Pasta with Italian Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotini pasta
- 1 Tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground sweet italian sausage chicken or pork
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pint grape tomatoes
- 10-12 large fresh basil leaves chopped
Instructions
- Bring a large pot with 4 quarts of water to boil over medium high heat on the stove top.
- Once the water boils, add in salt and rotini pasta and stir to combine. Cook pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Return the same pot back to the stovetop and reduce the heat to medium. Add olive oil and Italian sausage and cook until the sausage is just browned, about 6-8 minutes.
- Add in grape tomatoes and minced garlic and cook another 3-4 minutes until the tomatoes start to burst.
- Add fresh basil and cooked pasta and toss to combine.
- Serve with extra fresh basil or parmesan cheese if desired.
Nutrition
📋 Variations
- Vegetarian - Omit the sausage to make this dish vegetarian
- Gluten free - Use your favorite gluten free pasta to make this dish gluten free
- Spicy - Use spicy Italian sausage instead of sweet and add some crushed red pepper flakes with the tomatoes and garlic for a zestier dish
- Extra veggies - Add cooked asparagus or greens beans for even more vegetables
🍝 More pasta recipes
If you loved this rotini pasta recipe, check out these other pasta recipes that I know you will love.
Don't forget! If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and give it a rating. I love to hear from each and every one of you! Tag me on Facebook and Instagram as well! It makes my day to see all of your photos of the food you have made.
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