Sausage and Basil Spaghetti Recipe

A quick pasta dish with sausage, basil, and a triple-tomato base.

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Course: Pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: basil, sausage, spaghetti

Servings:

Calories: 793kcal

Author: Daisy Merano

Prepare the spaghetti noodles according to package instructions. Separate the noodles from the water. Do not discard the water used to cook the pasta.
1 lb. Spaghetti noodles
Heat a cooking pot and then add the pork sausage. Cook until the color of the sausage gets light brown.
1 lb. regular premium pork sausage
Add the onion and garlic. Saute with the sausage until the onion softens. Note: the oil that was extracted from the sausage should help cook the onion and garlic.
1 medium yellow onion, 1 teaspoon minced garlic
Add the diced tomato, tomato sauce, and beef broth. Stir. Let boil.
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomato, 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce, 2 cups beef broth
Add the fresh basil and Italian seasoning. Cover and then cook in low heat for 30 minutes. You can stir every few minutes to prevent the sausage from sticking on the pan.
8 fresh basil leaves, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Add the tomato paste, salt, and ground black pepper. Stir and continue to cook until the texture of the sauce thickens.
1 6 oz. can tomato paste, Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and mix.
Transfer to a plate. Top with grated Parmesan.
Serve.

Save your pasta water. After cooking the noodles, keep at least half a cup of the pasta water. This starchy liquid helps adjust the sauce later if it thickens too much or if the noodles soak up more than expected.
Use fresh basil if possible. Dried basil won’t bring the same lift to the sauce. If fresh leaves aren’t available, add dried basil in small amounts and include a little extra Italian seasoning to fill the gap.
Don’t rush the simmer. The 30-minute cook time allows the tomato base and sausage to deepen in flavor. If you shorten this step, the sauce won’t fully develop. Stir occasionally to avoid burning at the bottom of the pot.
Choose sausage with moderate fat. Avoid overly lean sausage, it won’t release enough fat to cook the onions and garlic properly. On the other hand, sausages that are too fatty can make the sauce greasy. I use one that’s about 80-85% lean.
Use beef broth, not water. Water will thin the sauce without adding flavor. Broth gives it more body and helps carry the sausage’s taste throughout. Chicken broth can work in a pinch, but beef pairs better with tomato.