Creamy Sausage Fusilli with Lemon Arugula

Name: Creamy Sausage Fusilli with Lemon Arugula
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 1 lb fusilli pasta; 1 tbsp lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil; 1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed; 1 (15 oz) jar alfredo sauce; 1/4 cup water; 2 cups arugula; 1 tbsp lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil, for dressing

This creamy sausage fusilli combines spicy Italian sausage with a rich alfredo sauce, finished with a bright lemon-dressed arugula salad that cuts through the richness and adds peppery contrast.

🌍Italian-American 🏷️Creamy pasta 🏷️Sausage pasta 🏷️Fusilli 🏷️Alfredo Spicy italian sausage

🏷️

🏷️Arugula

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oldscoolkevmoonTikTok

Total

20 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$16–$26

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From TikTok · by oldscoolkevmo

-0:00

oldscoolkevmoonTikTok

Ingredients

1 lb fusilli pasta
1 tbsp lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil
1 lb spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
1 (15 oz) jar alfredo sauce
1/4 cup wateroptional
2 cups arugula
1 tbsp lemon-infused extra virgin olive oil, for dressing

7 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
Cook fusilli pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2
Heat 1 tablespoon of lemon-infused olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
3
Add the spicy Italian sausage to the skillet and use a spoon to break it into crumbles.
4
Cook the sausage until it's fully browned and slightly caramelized, about 8-10 minutes.
5
Pour the jar of alfredo sauce over the cooked sausage.
6
Add a splash of water to the empty sauce jar, shake it to get the remaining sauce, and pour it into the skillet.
7
Stir everything together, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce come to a simmer.
8
Add the cooked fusilli pasta directly to the skillet with the sauce.
9
Toss the pasta and sauce together until the fusilli is evenly coated. Let it simmer for another minute for the flavors to meld.
10
While the pasta simmers, place the arugula in a separate bowl. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of lemon-infused olive oil and toss to coat.
11
Serve the creamy sausage pasta in bowls and top with a generous handful of the dressed arugula.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Remove sausage casings before cooking and break into bite-sized pieces as they brown for even distribution throughout the pasta.
Brown the sausage fully over medium-high heat to render fat and develop flavor before adding the alfredo sauce.
Add water to the alfredo sauce to loosen it slightly and prevent a heavy, overly thick coating on the warm pasta.
Dress the arugula separately with lemon-infused olive oil and season lightly; top the pasta just before serving to keep leaves crisp and prevent wilting.

Substitutions

Spicy Italian sausage → Sweet Italian sausage (omit the heat element; adds milder pork flavor)
Jarred alfredo sauce → Homemade alfredo (butter, heavy cream, Parmesan, garlic for richer taste)
Arugula → Spinach or mixed greens (note: spinach is milder; adjust lemon dressing to taste)

Storage & make-ahead

Store cooked pasta and sausage separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days; reheat pasta gently with extra cream or water and add fresh arugula and dressing just before serving.