20 Easy Family Dinners That Start with Italian Sausage

From lasagna to cassoulet, ragu to pizza, these Italian sausage dinners are ready in 45 minutes or less.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Updated October 27, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
Closeup view of ravioli, Italian sausage and spinach topped with Parmesan cheese in a bowl with a spoon

Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

There's a shortlist of flavor-building shortcuts every home cook should know, and one of them is working with Italian sausage. Whether sweet or hot or somewhere in between, Italian sausage brings so much more to the table than just protein and fat. It brings its own built-in layer of spices and depth that make it that much easier for a home cook to pull together a quick, delicious dinner without having to rummage in the spice drawer or pull too many ingredients from the pantry.

The recipes below showcase this beautifully, using Italian sausage as a base layer for building fast, effortless flavor. From time-saving takes on classic cassoulet, ragu, and lasagna to plenty of one-pot wonders, if you're looking for a crowd-pleasing, cozy recipe that can hit the table in 45 minutes, let Italian sausage take the lead.

  • One-Pot Sausage and Orzo

    Overhead view of a skillet of orzo, italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes and baby spinach next to a serving on a plate topped with Parmesan cheese

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

    "Once the dish is done, take it off the heat and serve it right away. The longer it sits, the more liquid the pasta will absorb and your dish will go from creamy to dry." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Cassoulet

    Easy cassoulet in white dutch oven.

    Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas

    "Great Northern beans are slightly larger than navy beans. They hold their shape well when cooked and have a mild flavor. These are my favorites for cassoulet." —Sally Vargas, Recipe Developer

  • Paccheri with Quick Sausage Ragu

    Pot of Paccheri With Quick Sausage Ragu With a Spoon, and in the Surroundings, a Glass, a Block of Parmesan, a Stack of Plates, and Basil Leaves

    Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

    "Both rigatoni and paccheri go extremely well with thick sauces and ragu, so if you’re in a pinch and can’t find paccheri, rigatoni makes a good substitute." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

  • Skillet Lasagna

    A skillet lasagna being served with a wooden spoon visible layers of pasta sauce and melted cheese

    Ciara Kehoe / Simply Recipes

    " Italian sausage has all the herbs and spices built right in, so you don’t have to add them one by one. Whether you choose spicy or sweet, it generally has salt, pepper, fennel seeds, garlic powder, onion powder, and herbs—all the flavor you need for the foundation of a hearty, flavorful meat sauce." —Amanda Luchtel, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 5 of 20 below

  • Sheet Pan Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

    Overhead view of a sheet pan sausage dinner.

    Simply Recipes

    "There are near endless options to enjoy this recipe. On multiple occasions, I’ve simply carried the sheet pan to the dinner table, along with crusty Italian bread or pillowy focaccia and a simple green salad. We each scooped up what we liked and swiped the pan juices with the bread. You can also serve it over rice, farro, quinoa, polenta, or cauliflower rice, or pasta." —Sheela Prakash, Recipe Developer

  • Tomato Tortellini Soup With Italian Sausage

    Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup - white bowl with tomato soup, fresh basil and cheese filled tortellini wtih a blue pot in the background

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickle

    "I added just a little sugar to this soup. If your soup has an acidic edge or bite to it, the sugar will tone that down. The acidity depends on the sweetness of the tomatoes used and how much they concentrate during the cooking." —Summer Miller, Contributor

  • Meat Lovers' Sheet Pan Pizza

    Sheet Pan Pizza with Pepperoni

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "You can use any store-bought dough for this recipe, but if you would like to make your own, I highly recommend making no knead pizza dough. No matter what dough you use, be sure to let it come completely to room temperature before shaping it. It will be easier to work with; dough that is cold will often bounce back and not retain its shape when it’s rolled out." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • Easy Italian Sausage Spaghetti

    Easy Italian Sausage Spaghetti

    Simply Recipes / Michelle Becker

    "This spaghetti recipe is light on the sauce, which is more typical of how spaghetti is actually served in Italy. If you would like more sauce, you may want to thin it with water or add more canned tomatoes to the sauce." —Elise Bauer, Founder

    Continue to 9 of 20 below

  • Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Mushrooms, Sausage, and Kale

    Sheet Pan Gnocchi With Mushrooms, Sausage, and Kale in a Bowl

    Simply Recipes / Alison Bickel

    "My preference for this recipe is frozen gnocchi since I find it works best here and I love the convenience. You don’t need to defrost it first—take it straight from freezer to sheet pan. Shelf stable gnocchi will also work." —Katie Morford, Recipe Developer

  • Italian Sausage and Rice Bake

    A skillet with sausage and rice dish a serving plated alongside with broccoli

    Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

    "To take this simple dish over the top, serve each portion with a little dollop of ricotta or a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan, fresh chopped herbs, or a spritz of lemon juice." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

  • Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Kale

    Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Kale recipe

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "I like this pasta shape for this dish. The “little ears” cook quickly and do a good job of holding onto the light sauce, but feel free to substitute farfalle, penne, or even orzo!" —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • White Beans and Sausage

    white beans and sausage

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "Make this dish in just 20 minutes by using canned beans." —Elise

    Continue to 13 of 20 below

  • Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Roasted Peppers

    Pasta with Sausages, Tomatoes, and Peppers

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer and Lisa LIn

    "To make the most of my time, I like to prep the ingredients while the pasta water is heating." —Elise

  • Easy Tuscan Ribollita Soup

    easy Tuscan ribolitta soup in a dutch oven at a table setting with a plate of bread and a kitchen towel

    Simply Recipes / Shilpa Iyer

    "It's very little additional effort to add crisped up Italian sausage to this soup for more protein." —Devan Grimsrud, Recipe Developer

  • Kale with White Beans and Sausage

    Kale, Sausage, and White Beans

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "We used curly kale for this recipe, but you could use any kale, as well as chard, turnip greens, beet greens, or collards." —Elise

  • Spicy Sausage Pizza

    Easy pizza recipe with sausage cut into slices with melted cheese strung between the slices.

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

    "You can make homemade dough the day before for this recipe, or simply buy some from the supermarket or local pizzeria." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

    Continue to 17 of 20 below

  • Shell Pasta with Sausage and Greens

    Shell Pasta with Sausage and Greens

    Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

    "For extra tang, squeeze a little lemon juice over everything before serving." —Elise

  • Zuppa Toscana

    Side angle view of two bowls with a cream based soup with beans, sausage, kale and potatoes, and two green water glasses

    Simply Recipes / Mihaela Kozaric Sebrek

    "This Zuppa Toscana is especially delicious with crusty bread. You can serve some toasted, olive oil-drizzled bread for dunking, or you can make some quick homemade croutons for garnish. I’ve been eating bowlfuls topped with a handful of everything croutons." —Nick Evans, Recipe Developer

  • 15-Minute Sausage White Bean Soup

    A white bowl with a soup filled with kale, white bean and sausage

    Simply Recipes / Sara Haas

    "I always serve this soup with some kind of toasted, sliced bread for dipping in the flavorful broth. I love sourdough, but a baguette or even a soft roll would be fantastic." —Sara Haas, Recipe Developer

  • 15-Minute One-Pan Ravioli

    Closeup view of ravioli, Italian sausage and spinach topped with Parmesan cheese in a light blue bowl

    Simply Recipes / Ali Redmond

    "If you’re not a fan of pork sausage, you can swap in fresh Italian chicken sausage instead. Just make sure to remove the sausage casing before adding it to the skillet." —Theodora Kaloudis, Recipe Developer

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