Smoked Sausage Pasta with White Beans is the perfect weeknight meal ready in 15 minutes. The smoked sausage brings a smoky flavor to the dish which means you don’t need extra spices! The healthy spinach, pine nuts and beans pair wonderfully, making this pasta dish a family favorite.
We are in the home stretch! Baby should be arriving any day now (fingers crossed) and the nesting has set in big time!
As I near the end of pregnancy I must admit that I am getting uncomfortable. It is getting harder to stand on my feet for long periods of time which of course makes cooking difficult.
Making meals at home for my family remains a priority for me, even if I am 9 months pregnant.
The easier the recipe the better when your time is limited, so the fact today’s comfort food recipe for Smoked Sausage Pasta only takes 15 minutes to cook is music to this mama’s ears!
Your family will love this Smoked Sausage Pasta with White Beans!
This sausage has a lot of flavor packed in it, which means you use less ingredients and spices and still have the same amount of flavor.
You also might like this Spicy Sausage Pasta, Italian Sausage Pasta Bake, One Pot Chickpea Kale Pasta Recipe or this Lemon Ricotta Pasta.
Smoked sausage pasta with white beans, spinach, and toasted pine nuts is an easy weeknight meal that you can make for your family.
In my house, we love adding vegetables to pasta dishes (that might be the Mom in me constantly trying to get my toddler to eat his vegetables), so I put cherry tomatoes, zucchini and spinach in.
If you don’t have cherry tomatoes on hand feel free to use a can of diced tomatoes. Get creative–so many different veggies would work great in this dish.
I personally love pine nuts, so that was the perfect finishing touch.
I also use walnuts in the dish when I don’t have pine nuts on hand. Feel free to modify this dish to your family’s tastes and enjoy the wonderful flavor that is ready in just 15 minutes!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s an overview of the simple ingredients we’re using. Jump to the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts and printable instructions.
- Sausage: This recipe uses smoked sausage but you can use any of your favorite sausage varieties.
- Pasta: The pasta I used is bow tie. I suggest a medium sized pasta as I think it works best along with the other ingredients.
- Pine Nuts: It is optional but I like adding toasted pine nuts for added crunch.
- Vegetables: This dish has cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and spinach. You can use a variety of other vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, green beans or broccoli.
- Broth: The vegetable broth helps the pasta cook and creates a light sauce.
- Beans: White beans are a great addition to this pasta dish. You can sub in black beans, red beans, chickpeas or pint beans.
- Spices: A mixture of dried basil, dried parsley and dried oregano add flavor to the dish.
Recipe Modifications
- Try using whole wheat pasta to create a healthier dish or even zoodles.
- Turkey sausage is another nice option in this dish.
- I used white beans in this dish but any bean works nicely. You could also use black beans, kidney beans or chickpeas.
- If you want to mix things up try tortellini or gnocchi in this dish in place of the pasta.
- Greens are great in this dish. Try swapping spinach for kale, swiss chard or arugula.
- Add other vegetables to the pasta. I love using carrots, green beans, broccoli or bell pepper.
Storage Tips
Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat you can microwave or you can bake in the oven.
Tried this recipe? Leave a star rating and comment below! Subscribe to my newsletter or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest for the latest.
Smoked Sausage Pasta with White Beans
Ingredients
- 1 14 ounce package Smoked Sausage, diagonally cut into 1/4” slices
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 6 ounces bow tie pasta, cooked and drained (or medium sized pasta of your choice)
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1-6 ounces package of spinach, pre-washed
- 1-15 ounces can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot bring water to a boil and cook pasta according to package. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a dry large skillet over medium-low heat and toast pine nuts, stirring frequently, until pine nuts are golden in spots, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet heat 2 tsp. olive oil on medium-high heat and sauté the smoked sausage for 5 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove smoked sausage and set aside.
- Add the zucchini and vegetable broth to the skillet and simmer until zucchini are soft, about 5 minutes. Add spinach, white beans, cherry tomatoes, basil, oregano and parsley and continue to simmer for 2 minutes until spinach is wilted and tomatoes are soft.
- Turn the heat to low, add the pasta and smoked sausage to the vegetables mixing well to combine and cook for 30 seconds. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, freshly grated parmesan cheese, chopped green onion, fresh parsley and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper.
Notes
- I have used other kinds of sausage which work great–try turkey sausage for a healthier option.
- Sub whole wheat pasta for regular pasta.
- If I don’t have cherry tomatoes on hand I use a can of diced tomatoes which works nicely.
- You could use winter squash in addition or in place of the zucchini.
- Walnuts work great in place of pine nuts.
I’m ready to shop for the ingredients….do you recommend any kind of white bean, or is there a specific one that you use?
I use Great Northern or Cannelini beans. Either works great! Hope you enjoy it!