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Creamy Gorgonzola Pasta with Garlic and Herbs

My Gorgonzola cream sauce pasta with sausage and peas is full of flavor and incredibly simple to prepare. Ready in about 30 minutes, it’s a perfect weeknight dish when you want something rich and comforting but don’t have much time.

Wooden spoon scooping out gorgonzola cream sauce pasta from large pan.

This creamy Gorgonzola pasta combines crumbled Italian sausage and sweet green peas for a nice contrast of texture and flavor. The sauce is silky and tangy from the Gorgonzola, while the sausage adds savory depth.

Ingredients shown: rigatoni, Italian sausage, peas, parsley, shallots, gorgonzola, and heavy cream.

How to make it

Each numbered step below matches the method used to build the dish.

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (about 2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon is a good guideline). Chop 3 medium shallots and mince 3 tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley.
  2. Heat a very large pan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, and sauté 1 pound bulk Italian sausage until browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan and keep it warm on a plate covered with foil.
  3. When the water is boiling, add 1 pound rigatoni (or penne, ziti, or paccheri) and cook to one minute less than al dente. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining; you may not use all of it but it’s helpful to have on hand.
  4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan, then add the chopped shallots and sauté until soft, about 4–5 minutes.
  5. Stir in 8 ounces frozen peas, 1 cup heavy cream, and 6 ounces Gorgonzola dolce. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer so the cheese melts into the cream.
  6. Return the cooked sausage to the pan and stir to combine with the sauce.
  7. Add the pasta to the pan along with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta reaches al dente and the sauce clings to the noodles.
  8. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the minced parsley. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper to taste—pepper complements the Gorgonzola nicely. If the pasta seems dry, add reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce is glossy and silky. Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano and extra black pepper. Enjoy!

Top tips

  • The cheese: Gorgonzola dolce is milder and creamier than the firmer gorgonzola piccante, which is why dolce works so well in a cream sauce. This recipe uses 6 ounces for a gentle Gorgonzola presence; increase the amount if you prefer a stronger blue-cheese flavor. For extra punch, crumble a bit of piccante on top just before serving.
  • The sausage: Mild bulk Italian sausage is used here. If you can’t find bulk sausage, buy link sausages and remove the casing before cooking.
  • Save your pasta water: Starchy pasta water helps emulsify and loosen the cream sauce, restoring a smooth, glossy texture if the sauce tightens up while resting.
Gorgonzola cream sauce pasta in black plate.

More pastas you’ll love

If you enjoy this sausage and Gorgonzola pasta, try other comforting pasta dishes that pair creamy sauces with robust flavors for weeknight dinners.

  • Pasta alla Boscaiola
  • Beans and greens sausage pasta
  • Sausage pasta fagioli
  • Lemon ricotta spinach pasta

If you enjoyed this Gorgonzola Cream Sauce Pasta, please consider rating the recipe.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce Pasta

by James Delmage
5 from 18 votes
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 6
Gorgonzola cream sauce pasta featured image.
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Gorgonzola cream sauce pasta is a rich, creamy dish made with rigatoni, shallots, peas, and crumbled sausage tossed in a Gorgonzola cream and finished with grated cheese and parsley.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound rigatoni (or penne, ziti, paccheri)
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 medium shallots, chopped
  • 8 ounces frozen peas
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
  • 6 ounces Gorgonzola dolce
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, minced
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 2 cups reserved pasta water (you won’t need it all, but save it)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  2. Heat a very large pan over medium heat and sauté the sausage in 2 tablespoons olive oil until browned, about 7 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
  3. Begin cooking the rigatoni in the boiling water to one minute less than al dente, reserving 2 cups pasta water before draining.
  4. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan with the shallots and sauté until soft, about 4–5 minutes. Add the peas, heavy cream, and Gorgonzola and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
  5. Return the sausage to the pan and stir to combine.
  6. Add the pasta and 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta reaches al dente and the sauce clings to the noodles.
  7. Remove from heat, stir in the parsley, and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add more reserved pasta water a little at a time until silky. Serve with grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano.

Notes

  • Makes 4 very large servings or 6 moderate-sized servings.
  • Gorgonzola dolce is preferred for its creaminess and milder flavor compared with piccante.
  • If the pasta dries out, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
  • Leftovers keep up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 730 kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.1 g | Protein: 30.1 g | Fat: 45.5 g | Saturated Fat: 16.7 g | Cholesterol: 160 mg | Sodium: 861 mg | Potassium: 558 mg | Fiber: 1.9 g | Sugar: 2.3 g | Calcium: 148 mg | Iron: 4 mg

Nutrition information is an approximation.

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