Easy Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes
This chicken sausage pasta is what I make when I need dinner in about 15 minutes and don’t have the energy for anything complicated. It’s quick, low effort, and made almost entirely from pantry and freezer staples. Boil the pasta, air fry the chicken sausage, stir everything together, and dinner’s done. It’s the kind of meal that feels more interesting than plain pasta with sauce, but doesn’t ask much of you.
I started leaning on recipes like this during a season when cooking felt exhausting instead of enjoyable. I still wanted to eat at home, but I needed dinner to be fast, simple, and reliable. Meals like this are what slowly got me back into the kitchen without adding more stress to my day.
If you’re feeling burned out and relying on takeout more than you want to, this is the kind of recipe that helps bridge the gap. It keeps dinner easy, uses ingredients you probably already have, and still tastes really good, without turning cooking into another thing you have to push through.
If quick, low-effort dinners are what you need right now, my Tuscan white bean pasta, sun dried tomato mushroom pasta, and tomato gnocchi soup are all ready in 20 minutes or less and keep cooking simple.
Key ingredients
- Italian Chicken Sausage – Use whatever Italian chicken sausage you like. I typically pick up a package from Trader Joe’s.
- Balsamic Vinegar – This is the secret ingredient. A small splash helps cut through the canned tomatoes and makes the sauce taste more balanced.
- Sun Dried Tomatoes in Oil – Use the kind packed in oil. Drain most of it, but a little oil adds flavor and helps coat the pasta, making the whole dish taste more elevated.
Step by step
Cook the sausage in the air fryer at 400F for 6 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, drain the liquid from the tomatoes. Right before draining the pasta, reserve some of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta then add the drained tomatoes, sundried tomatoes,, balsamic vinegar, salt, garlic powder and frozen spinach. Stir well. Add a few tablespoons of the starchy cooking liquid to the pot until the pasta is well coated. Cut the sausage up into coins. Add the italian chicken sausage to the pot with the pasta. Stir well and serve hot.
Tips for success
- Air fry the sausage whole, then slice it – This is the easiest way to cook it evenly. Use tongs when removing and slicing since it will be hot.
- Add pasta water gradually – You likely won’t need much. Add a little at a time until the pasta looks lightly coated and glossy.
- Break up the frozen spinach ahead of time– Pull the spinach out when you start the pasta water so it can thaw slightly. Before adding it, gently press or break up the bag to avoid large frozen clumps that take longer to defrost.
Italian Chicken Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 package italian chicken sausage
- 16 ounces gluten free pasta of choice
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes - drained
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 cups frozen spinach
Instructions
- Cook sausage in the air fryer. 400F for 6 minutes.1 package italian chicken sausage
- Once water has come to a boil, add a big pinch of salt then add the pasta. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than recommended. Reserve some pasta water before draining.16 ounces gluten free pasta of choice
- Pour the diced tomatoes in a mesh strainer to drain off excess liquid (or the pasta will be too wet).28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- Add pasta back to the pot with drained diced tomatoes, sun dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, italian seasoning, salt, garlic powder and frozen spinach. Cook over low heat until the spinach is defrosted.28 ounce can diced tomatoes, ¼ cup sundried tomatoes in olive oil, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 2 cups frozen spinach
- Add pasta water as needed to get the right consistency.
- Cut air fried sausage into coins and add directly to the pasta dish. Stir well and serve hot.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- Cook the pasta 1–2 minutes less than the package directions – This gives you room to finish cooking it in the sauce while the frozen spinach defrosts, without ending up with mushy pasta.
- Reserve some pasta water before draining – There isn’t a lot of sauce here, so a splash of pasta water helps everything coat evenly. A glass measuring cup works well for this.
- Drain the canned tomatoes well – If you skip this step, the pasta will be too soupy. You can drain them in a mesh strainer or squeeze out the liquid by hand.
- Freshly grated Parmesan
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Chopped basil, if you have it
