Penne with Italian Sausage in San Marzano Sauce
This Penne with Italian sausage in a San Marzano sauce is a dish that can be made in about 30 minutes and will quickly become your go-to dinner. Whether in a pinch for time on a busy weeknight or you need a main dish for a nice dinner party, this dish is a hearty, delicious pasta meal that has been my signature dish for 30 years. It was also an easy dish to make on those busy Firehouse shifts. This recipe is made using one large skillet. Well, also a pot to boil the pasta. Typically, once the dish is complete in the skillet the rest of the kitchen is all cleaned up.
I originally found this recipe in Gourmet magazine many years ago. I made it, it was good, but since then, I have tinkered with it, changing it over the years, into what I now call my signature dish. I don’t even remember the original recipe.
When I ask the family what they want me to make for dinner, this dish is one of the usual responses. In this recipe, by using quality Italian sausage, Penne pasta and San Marzano tomatoes as the base of the dish, It becomes a flavorful, savory dinner that everyone has enjoyed. You get a sauce that tastes like it simmered for hours, However, It is easy to make and actually comes together on the stove-top in just 30 minutes.
This has been the perfect weeknight family dinner for years and is an elegant dish to serve at your dinner party with friends or as an easy, delicious, 30-minute weeknight dinner for the family. Add a nice Ceaser salad, garlic bread and say maybe some Broccoli rabe and you have created the perfect weeknight Italian dinner. Don’t forget the wine!
About the Ingredients
1 lb Penne Pasta – Tender ridges perfectly designed to trap the velvety sauce for maximum flavor in every forkful. You may substitute Rigatoni if that is you’re preference. Remember to cook the pasta al dente as the pasta will cook in the sauce at the end of the dish making it the perfect tenderness.
1 lb Italian Sausage – Using mild or sweet Italian sausage this recipe works best crumbling the sausage removed from the casings to ensure sausage in every bite. If you prefer more Sausage in your dish, like I do, you can remove Sausage from one or two more links. This recipe works best with the sausage crumbled. It allows the sausage to release flavors as well as absorb the flavors of the other ingredients. I do not recommend using hot sausage.
1 tbsp Olive Oil – Using classic olive oil drizzled in the pan adds flavor and gives the sausage a slight coating to help evenly cook the sausage and prevent browning. We want the sausage cooked not browned.
5-6 cloves sliced Garlic – You can adjust the amount of garlic if you like. Take into account the size of the cloves. I prefer to slice the garlic thin rather than mince or chop it. The sliced garlic makes a nice presentation. And be careful not to burn it. The garlic should be slightly translucent when cooked.
Dry White wine -- The best white wines for this dish would be a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc. The acidity cuts through the heavy fat of the sausage and brightens up your rich San Marzano tomato sauce without altering the flavor profile. Chardonnay will do in a pinch. And remember to add the wine at room temperature.
28 oz San Marzano Tomatoes – Sweet, low-acid tomatoes that melt into a vibrant, naturally luxurious sauce. The preferred method is to pour the sauce from the can into the skillet first and then hand crush the tomatoes left in the can. Make sure you’re wearing an apron when crushing the tomatoes! I learned the hard way!
1.5 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano (divided) – Aged, sharp, rich and nutty an intensely savory cheese that melts beautifully into the hot pasta to add a luxurious, salty richness. This amount, just like the garlic, can be personal preference. Remember we are finishing the dishes presentation with cheese sprinkled on top before serving so you can adjust to taste. You can use Pecorino-Romano which is more a bold tangy cheese but I find the flavor profile for this dish tastes better with Parmigiano-Reggiano again, this is personal preference.
Up to 10 fresh Basil leaves – Crisp and peppery the basil give the sauce that traditional Italian sauce flavor. I prefer fresh basil but dried will do in a pinch. I use the leaves whole. I give them a smack between my hands to help release its oils and let them cook in the sauce toward the end so they release their flavor into the sauce. Do this before you add the cheese and pasta.
Salt and Pepper –– Essential seasonings that enhance the flavor of the sauce. Lightly season the sauce after adding the tomatoes and be mindful as sauce slightly reduces the seasoning can easily intensify. You can always add more salt, you cant take it out. Always salt and taste in stages to get the perfect balance!
Pasta water: This is where presentation magic begins. Save about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the starchy Pasta water (a soup ladle full should do) and add it to your sauce prior to adding your pasta. The starchy water will help the sauce adhere to the pasta when you add it. This is a standard restaurant practice.
The butter: Add in a tablespoon or two of cold butter during the last 30 seconds of tossing the pasta first taking the skillet off the heat. This gives the dish that glistening, savory look you see on restaurant quality dishes.
The Firehouse Skillet: Tips for this Recipe
The Secret to San Marzano: True San Marzano tomatoes are naturally sweeter and less acidic than standard canned tomatoes. Keeping the sauce "light" means you don't need to simmer it for hours—just a quick bubble lets the fresh tomato flavor shine next to the savory sausage. When shopping for San marzano whole peeled tomatoes in sauce look for the D.O.P label on the can, these are certified and authentic. These are found in more specialty stores in your area and can be a bit pricier. However any quality grocery brand will do such as Cento or Flora brands.
The Sausage: Use Sausage with its casings removed. You can twist them in the middle and squeeze them out of the casing into the pan. Avoid using Pre-packaged Sausage (The kind you see packaged like chop meat at the grocer) it is finely ground, exposed to air, and often packed with extra preservatives. It loses moisture quickly on the shelf, causing it to cook up into dry, grainy, taco-meat-like rather than hearty sausage chunks.
Glossy finish: Ever notice how the restaurant pasta dishes look so glossy? Its simple. Adding cold butter to the pasta with sauce at the end of the cook before plating creates an emulsion. Add the butter off the heat and toss until melted. This gives your sauce a silky, restaurant-quality gloss. That will impress your friends.
Choosing your Cheese: Parmigiano-Reggiano and any other cheese is best grated off the block. Skip the bag and grate fresh off the block! Pre-packaged grated cheese is coated in starchy anti-caking agents that make your pasta sauce clumpy or chalky. Grating a fresh block of Parmesan ensures it melts smoothly into a velvety, restaurant-quality gloss that hugs every piece of Penne!
Don't skip the pasta water and butter! Tossing your penne with a splash of starchy cooking water and a pat or two of the cold parts of butter at the very end is the chef's secret to a cohesive, glossy, restaurant-quality sauce. The starchy pasta water binds the tomato juices and sausage fats together, creating a velvety glaze that sticks to every single ridge! The cold butter gives your pasta dish elegant gloss and sheen. This is where your Sausage and Penne pasta dish goes from typical home cook to friends asking “what restaurant did you order this from” It’s the game changer!
Take the time to prep: Nothing is worse then when your in the middle of a cook and you realized you did not, say, prep your garlic. When cooking, prep everything! open the cans, chop the garlic, grate the cheese and pre-measure all seasonings. Be ready to throw everything in! This will also keep you from omitting ingredients.
No large skillet? No problem! If your skillet isn't big enough to hold everything, simply drain your penne and return it right back into your large pasta cooking pot (after saving your pasta water! I’ve made this mistake). Label in the pasta water then pour your sausage and San Marzano sauce directly over the pasta. Remove from the heat and add your cold butter. You get that exact same velvety, restaurant-quality emulsion without needing any specialized restaurant gear. Use my next tip to bring that elegant presentation! You don’t want some old pot sitting on a potholder in the center of your table.
Serve in large decorative bowl: When presentation is a must, whether it be for a family holiday table or a Cozy dinner party with friends, after your dish is complete in the skillet or Pot, Transfer your elegant pasta dish to a large decorative bowl. If you like top the bowl with sprinkling of shredded or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and some shredded basil. Place you bowl in the center of your table. This will be the centerpiece of the table all will be clamoring to eat!
Refrigerator Storage (Short-Term)
The Lifespan: Store your leftover cooked sausage penne in a sealed container and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
The 2-Hour Rule: Get your leftovers into the refrigerator within 2 hours of cooking. Leaving pasta out at room temperature triggers rapid bacterial growth.
Reheating: Splash in a tablespoon of water. This loosens the sauce and brings that starchy, buttery gloss back to life. Then reheat in your skillet.
Freezer Storage (Long-Term)
Can I Freeze this dish: Yes, Let the pasta cool down completely before packing it away using a sealed container for up to 2 months
How to Thaw: Move the frozen pasta to the refrigerator 24 hours before you want to eat it. Reheat it in a skillet until it is steaming hot all the way through (165°F).
Now lets get ready for the recipe and lets start cooking!
Penne with Italian Sausage in San Marzano Sauce
Ingredients
1 lb Italian Sausage (sweet or mild removed from casings and crumbled)
1 lb Penne Pasta (cooked al dente according to package instructions)
1 cup Dry White wine (Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon blanc is best)
1 can (28 oz) San Marzano Whole Peeled Tomatoes (crushed by hand or chopped in pan with wooden spatula)
5-6 cloves Garlic (sliced thin)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1.5 cups Shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano( Divided. This is to add to the skillet during cook and garnish prior to serving)
6-10 Fresh Basil leaves (torn or shredded)
Salt and Black Pepper (to taste)
1/4 to 1/2 cup Pasta water ( a soup ladle full should do)
1-2 Tbsp Unsalted butter: Caution! Use unsalted butter to control the salt content. if using salted butter you may want to adjust the salt you added to the dish.
Recipe
Brown Your Sausage: Heat a large Non-Stick skillet (or skillet of your choice) and add the olive oil. Then add the sausage from the casings and cook until completely cooked through. Do not brown the sausage (about 5–7 minutes).
Sauté your Garlic: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sliced garlic directly to the skillet with the sausage. Stir constantly for about 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to let the garlic burn. (I prefer sliced vs chopped garlic for this dish)
Add the Wine: Pour in your wine and allow it to reduce by about half. This will prevent a watery sauce and as well allow the sausage to absorb the flavors of garlic and wine.
Add your Tomatoes with sauce: Pour in the sauce from the can then hand crush the San Marzano tomatoes. You may additionally crush the larger pieces of tomato in pan using your spatula. Season lightly with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well, scraping up any delicious browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the sauce simmer gently for 8–10 minutes to let the flavors marry.
Add the Basil: Add whole or hand shredded Basil to the Sausage Penne Pasta sauce and give a few tosses.
Add the Cheese: Lower the stovetop heat. Scatter the shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese evenly over the top of the entire skillet and carefully stir it into the sauce Place a lid or a sheet of foil over the skillet and let it sit for 2–3 minutes until the cheese is completely melted, bubbly, and gooey. Now is the time to taste if more seasoning needed.
Add the pasta water: Ladle in the starchy cooking water to the sauce just before you add the pasta.
Toss in the Pasta: Add your cooked, tender penne pasta right into the skillet. Toss the pasta in that luxurious sauce you made thoroughly coating every noodle! You are now ready to give your delicious Sausage Penne pasta that restaurant quality look!
Add the butter: Remove the pan from the heat and add in the tablespoon or two of cold butter right from the fridge. Not what you may have sitting on the counter. toss the pasta or using the spatula fold the past in the sauce until the pasta shines. And serve.
Estimated Nutritional Facts (Per serving)
Calories: 540 kcal I Total Fat: 22g I Carbohydrates: 58g I Protein: 26g I Sodium: 680mg