As you might have guessed already, I am a big fan of pasta recipes. I love them all - pasta bakes, pasta salads, one-pot pastas, I think I am yet to try a pasta I don’t like. This Sausage Nduja Pasta (Pasta con Nduja) is one of my newest favourites - it is so delicious, you will wonder why you haven’t made it before. Imagine crispy fried sausage with orecchiette pasta in a luxuriously creamy smoky ‘Nduja, mascarpone and tomato sauce - all finished off with plenty of Parmesan. Trust me, it is just so good!
I love cooking with crumbled sausages - they go wonderfully crispy and golden (I used the same technique in my Creamy Sausage and Fennel Rigatoni Pasta with Chilli and Cavolo Nero). Then add in a delicious homemade cherry tomato sauce infused with smoky ‘Nduja paste (proper ‘Nduja can be tricky to find, so the pastes are more affordable and accessible), enriched with mascarpone, and you have the most pasta dish which is easy enough to make on a weeknight. You could add in extra veggies if you like, I sometimes stir in a handful of spinach and allow it to wilt down - or I add garlicky-green beans or a lightly dressed salad on the side. You could go full-on comfort vibes and serve with garlic bread - it is perfect for mopping up every last morsel of the delicious sauce.
Why you will love this Sausage Nduja Pasta (Pasta con Nduja):
- It is quick, easy and ready in less than 30 minutes - perfect for a midweek meal.
- It is full of flavour thanks to the crispy sausages, spicy and smoky ‘Nduja, creamy mascarpone, sweet tomatoes and cheesy, umami Parmesan.
- It is a budget-friendly meal which makes the most of affordable ingredients and store cupboard essentials.
What you will need for this Sausage Nduja Pasta (Pasta con Nduja):
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the exact recipe with a full list of ingredients and measurements
INGREDIENTS:
Olive oil - a good quality olive oil adds a lovely flavour to the tomato sauce. You could use rapeseed oil, if wished - this Borderfields Garlic Infused Rapeseed Oil is delicious and will add a subtle garlic flavour to the sauce.
Sausages - opt for the best quality sausages you can find, it will make all the difference in terms of flavour.
Cherry tomatoes - plump, sweet and juicy - a fresh cherry tomato sauce is too good to miss when cherry tomatoes are in season. You could also use baby plum tomatoes.
Tomato purée - this intensifies the tomato flavour in the sauce. You could swap for sundried tomato paste if you prefer.
‘Nduja paste - this spicy Italian sausage paste adds a bit of heat and smokiness to the sauce that just tastes so good.
Mascarpone - this is a creamy, thick Italian cheese with a high fat content (around 40%) and similar consistency to cream cheese. It is used in both savoury and sweet recipes - like one of my favourite puddings, tiramisu. I love the way it makes the most luxuriously creamy pasta sauce in minutes.
Fresh basil - stirring through basil leaves adds a delicious subtle basil flavour to the sauce.
Orecchiette - these small, curved pasta shapes are ideal for holding the tomato sauce and look rather pretty.
Salt - I recommend Maldon Salt for the best flavour. Their flavoured options would both work well here too.
Black pepper - freshly ground black pepper adds a slight warmth and pepperiness to this dish. You could use mixed peppercorns for a more complex flavour profile.
Parmesan - a generous grating of fresh Parmesan adds a glorious umami flavour.
Substitutions and Variations:
- Sausages: I have used plain pork sausages as it gives you the most flexibility in terms of flavour - but you could use different flavours according to your own tastes. You can get some lovely caramelised onion ones which would work well. Pork mince would also work the same way - just fry until lovely and crispy, and make sure you season well. I would also add a little crushed garlic and some dried herbs.
- Garlic: this is lovely with a couple of crushed or roasted cloves of garlic in the sauce - or a shake of garlic granules.
- Fresh pesto: if you want to increase the basil flavour, you can swirl through some basil pesto or drizzle over a couple of teaspoons before serving.
- Dried pasta: you can use pretty much any pasta you have in your store cupboards. I feel small dried pasta works best - fusilli and penne are both good choices. Orecchiette is one of my favourite pasta shapes. It is from the Apulia region in Italy and gets its name from its shape - which resembles a small ear (it translates as ‘little ears’). They have a rough surface which makes them ideal for holding sauces (like this one). It is most famously used in ‘Orecchiette con le Cime di Rapa’ (Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe’) - a traditional Puglian dish with olive oil, garlic, chillies, anchovies, broccoli stems and florets, and toasted breadcrumbs. You could use any other short pasta shape you wish in this recipe - fusilli and penne are all easy-to-find substitutes.
Cheeses
- Parmesan: I love the delicious umami flavour that Parmesan brings to pasta dishes, but you could swap for Pecorino or any other strong hard cheese if that is what you have to hand.
- Mozzarella: I often serve this with some freshly torn mozzarella scattered over the top. It starts to melt and go a bit gooey if you put it on straight away - delicious!
- Mascarpone - I have only tested this with mascarpone so can’t guarantee the success of any substitutes. However, you could try making it with full-fat cream cheese or Boursin - the latter should give a delicious garlic and herb flavour to the sauce.
COOKING TIPS:
- Crispy sausages: make sure you break the sausages down into small pieces and keep cooking until they are gloriously golden and crispy. Keep stirring occasionally so they don’t burn.
- Adding pasta water: using pasta cooking water in pasta sauces is one of my favourite chef’s tricks. As the pasta cooks in the boiling water, it releases starch - thus creating a starchy pasta water. When you add this to your sauces, it helps to bind and thicken them. If you have a buttery or oily sauce, it will help them become creamy and non-greasy. Put simply, adding a splash of pasta cooking water to your sauce will help you create the most delicious, silky smooth, pasta sauce.
- Taste as you go: keep tasting the tomato sauce and adjusting the seasoning, that way you will get the most delicious Sausage Nduja Pasta (Pasta con Nduja) just how you like it.
What do people mean when they talk about al dente?
Pasta recipes often ask for the pasta to be cooked ‘al dente’ which literally translates as ‘to the tooth’. This is the ideal consistency for pasta (and rice) which should be firm and have some bite - not too hard or chalky (which means it is undercooked) or mushy (which means it is overcooked).
For all my saucy pasta recipes where the pasta gets stirred through the sauce - the pasta actually finishes cooking for a few minutes as you toss it with the sauce. So it’s very important that the pasta is still a little hard when you add it to the sauce, or it will over cook. This is the secret to really great pasta!
Always add the pasta to the sauce and not the other way around. And also cook it al dente and finish it in the sauce. Just bubble it away for a minute or so, taste to check you’re happy with the taste and also that the pasta is cooked.
Frequently Asked Questions:
This can seem a bit of a faff but gets easier once you have the hang of it. You need to make sure your sausages are fridge cold (trust me, it will make it SO much easier). Then all you have to do is score the skin done the length with a sharp knife, then pull away the sides.
Absolutely! I have used good-quality pork sausages in my base recipe, but you can experiment with different flavours (my butcher made a lovely smoky paprika one which would work really well). You can also try using sausages made with other meat like chicken or lamb (merguez sausages would be fun to try).
'Nduja is an Italian spreadable cured sausage paste made from pork, fat, spices, Calabrian chillies and herbs. It has a deep red colour and spicy flavour and is often used to add flavour to sauces and stews, as a pizza topping or spread on toast (it doesn’t need cooking).
Definitely. With a few simple swaps, you can make a delicious vegetarian sausage pasta. Opt for vegetarian-friendly sausages (you could even choose a flavoured variety) and either omit the ‘Nduja or purchase a plant-based version like this Belazu Ve-du-ya. Then all you have to do is swap the Parmesan for a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan-style hard cheese like Gran Moravia - although a strong Cheddar would work well too.
Other recipes you may enjoy:
If you like the sound of my Sausage Nduja Pasta (Pasta con Nduja), I have so many other delicious pasta recipes for you to try. My Spicy Sausage Pasta Bake with 'Nduja is very similar to this recipe - but with the added comfort that comes with a pasta bake (a.k.a those irresistibly crisp bits round the edges)! I love prepping it in advance so all I have to do is pop it in the oven when I get home from a long day. Speaking of simple suppers, my Weeknight Sausage Ragu with Penne Pasta is another winner in my household - it is such a hearty winter warmer that can be on the table in under half an hour. On the subject of sausage pastas, you simply must try my Creamy Sausage Pasta (Pasta alla Norcina) - it is luxuriously rich and creamy and packed FULL of flavour. My friends often request it when they come round (a sure sign of a good recipe if ever there was one)...
Made this recipe and loved it?
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Sausage Nduja Pasta (Pasta con Nduja)
Imagine crispy fried sausage with orecchiette pasta in a luxuriously creamy smoky ‘Nduja, mascarpone and tomato sauce - all finished off with plenty of Parmesan. Yum!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 6 good quality pork sausages, casings removed
- Olive oil
- 300g cherry tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp nduja paste
- 125g mascarpone
- Fresh basil
- 400g pasta (we used orecchiette but use what you have)
- Salt
- Pepper
- Parmesan, for grating
Instructions
- In a pan with a drizzle of oil over medium heat, add the sausages and break apart with a wooden spoon into small pieces. To remove the casings, all you have to do is score the skin with a knife and then pull it away. Having the sausages fridge cold makes this easier. Once they are into small pieces, fry until deep golden brown. You want them totally crisp. This will take 10-15 minutes.
- Once crisp, add the cherry tomatoes, tomato paste and nduja paste. Stir and fry for a few mins then add in a good splash of water. Bubble gently for 10 minutes, encouraging the tomatoes to burst by using the back of the wooden spoon and pressing down.
- Meanwhile, get your pasta on to boil in a pot of well seasoned boiling water.
- Once the tomatoes have formed a sauce, add the mascarpone and basil leaves. Add a splash of pasta water as needed to form a smooth and delicious sauce. Then add the cooked pasta, parmesan, more fresh basil and stir together. Add pasta water as needed to make it loose and silky.
- Scoop into bowls and enjoy!
Notes
Make it vegetarian-friendly: you can make this Sausage Nduja Pasta (Pasta con Nduja) for veggies by using vegetarian-friendly sausages, swapping the ‘Nduja for a generous pinch of smoked paprika (or using a plant-based version like Belazu Ve-du-ya) and opting for a vegetarian-friendly Parmesan-style hard cheese like Gran Moravia - although a strong Cheddar would work well too.
Sausages: I have used good-quality pork sausages but you can use all sorts of different flavours. Get creative and have fun experimenting! You could also use pork mince, make sure you season it well and get it nice and brown and crispy.
Pasta - you can use pretty much any pasta you have in your store cupboards. I feel small dried pasta works best - fusilli and penne are both good choices.
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