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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Main Dishes

    Smoked Sausage Pasta Fra Diavolo

    Published: May 20, 2016 Β· Modified: Jun 18, 2020 by Alyssa Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

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    Smoked sausage pasta fra diavolo features an easy homemade tomato sauce with a kick! This spicy favorite is served over spaghetti with smoked sausage and fresh herbs for a new twist on a classic Italian dish.

    A large metal pan with taller sides filled with spaghetti, smoked sausage, and sauce ready to serve

    My husband and I make a BIG pot of Sunday sauce with meatballs and sausage every few weeks and then spend the days after eating leftovers, even after portioning away some in the freezer. It's definitely a labor of love (hence the name), but it's amazing how simple ingredients can be transformed into something so good.

    Since hearty red sauce pasta cravings don't just spring up on the weekend, this smoked sausage pasta is a weeknight-friendly way to enjoy all those delicious Italian flavors, all in an hour or less. The homemade fra diavolo sauce is so easy and has just the right amount of zip. It's not too spicy and brings a very manageable heat.

    An overhead picture of all of the recipe ingredients in separate containers on a marble board

    Recipe ingredients

    Fra diavolo means 'brother devil' in Italian, so you can count on this easy smoked sausage pasta to be spicy. And while it's traditionally served with shrimp (like in my shrimp fra diavolo and grits), I've certainly taken many liberties in using smoked sausage.

    For this pasta, you'll need:

    • smoked sausage
    • olive oil
    • garlic cloves
    • crushed red pepper
    • crushed tomatoes
    • red wine
    • dried oregano
    • salt
    • fresh parsley and basil
    • spaghetti

    The variety of smoked sausage I use for this recipe comes in an either thirteen- or fourteen-ounce link. It comes fully cooked, so all you need to prep is to slice it and brown it. Easy as that. To keep things a little bit lighter, I like to use smoked turkey sausage in this pasta fra diavolo, but of course regular pork sausage is great, too.

    Spice level

    The spiciness here comes all from the crushed red pepper - one-and-a-half teaspoons. This smoked sausage pasta is spicy, yes, but it's not offputtingly hot or the kind of spice that builds to an uncomfortable level. And I'm saying that as someone who likes spicy food a medium-low amount.

    If you're cooking for a crowd of mixed palates, I suggest adding the least amount of red pepper flakes that your crowd as a whole can handle, with those who like it spicier adding additional red pepper for serving.

    A pan of the thickened fra diavolo sauce before adding the spaghetti and smoked sausage

    What wine to use in sauce

    Usually white wine is used in fra diavolo recipes, but I like to use red for this recipe. I always link white wine with seafood so I'll use white when making shrimp fra diavolo, but the smoked sausage pairs nicely here with red. The crushed tomato/red wine combination helps make dishes like bolognese sauce and Italian sausage and peppers.

    You'll want to use a red wine variety that's on the drier side for this recipe. Something like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir. If you're not a red wine fan or don't have any on hand when making this recipe, you can always use white wine instead. For sauces with white wine, I prefer a Sauvignon Blanc.

    Spaghetti tossed in the sauce in a pan with a pair of tongs

    Easy recipe steps

    The first step of this smoked sausage pasta is to brown the meat. Use a large pan with moderately tall sides as this will be the pan we cook the sauce in. Since the sausage is fully cooked, the slices just need a few minutes per side. Once browned, place them on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb the excess grease.

    Once that's done, add the rest of the olive oil to the pan, then add the minced garlic and the crushed red pepper. Since the pan will be hot, the garlic and red pepper just need 20-30 seconds to cook! Have the rest of your ingredients ready to go at this point so you can quickly move to the next step. You don't want the garlic to burn while you're scrambling to measure things out (been there, done that).

    A ceramic pasta bowl of a portion of smoked sausage fra diavolo topped with grated Parmesan

    Next pour in the crushed tomatoes, wine, salt, and oregano. Keep a lid or splatter screen handy because you need it as the sauce simmers and thickens up over the next 15-20 minutes or so.

    Once the sauce starts simmering is when I like to set up a big pot of water for the pasta. That way you can just about time the pasta being done when the sauce is ready to serve.

    Once the sauce has thickened, add the fresh herbs and stir in the browned sausage slices and the spaghetti. Toss to coat everything evenly in the sauce. Like pretty much every pasta recipe I make, I like to serve this smoked sausage pasta fra diavolo with freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese. Freshly grated is such a treat!

    A serving of pasta on a dish surrounded by a salt shaker, red pepper flakes, and parsley.

    Recipe notes

    • Keep a lid or splatter screen nearby once you add the crushed tomatoes and wine, as the pan will be well-heated and little drops will start splattering quickly. Just make sure the lid is cracked to vent the steam as we want the sauce to thicken and reduce.
    A pan full of spaghetti, fra diavolo sauce, and smoked sausage

    Smoked Sausage Pasta Fra Diavolo

    Smoked sausage pasta fra diavolo features an easy homemade tomato sauce with a kick! This spicy favorite is served over spaghetti with smoked sausage and fresh herbs for a new twist on a classic Italian dish.
    4.50 from 10 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Pasta
    Cuisine: Italian
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 395kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    • 3 tbsp plus 1 tsp olive oil divided
    • 13-14 oz package smoked sausage cut into slices approx. ΒΌ" thin
    • 6 cloves garlic minced or pressed (about 1 tbsp)
    • 1 Β½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
    • Β½ cup red wine on the drier side
    • ΒΎ teaspoon dried oregano
    • Β½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 lb spaghetti (16 oz)
    • ΒΌ cup fresh parsley diced
    • ΒΌ cup fresh basil diced
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to a large pan and heat over medium heat. Add smoked sausage slices in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until bottom sides are browned. Flip and cook the other sides until browned. Remove the browned sausage slices to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat this process until all of the sausage is cooked.
    • Once the last batch of sausage is removed from the pan, add remaining 3 tablespoon of olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper to the pan. Let the garlic cook on medium heat for 20-30 seconds, then add crushed tomatoes, wine, oregano, and salt, and stir. Cover the pan with a lid to prevent splatter, keeping it open a crack to let steam out.
    • Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring every once in a while, until the sauce has thickened to your liking. This will take around 15-18 minutes.
    • While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add spaghetti. Cook according to package directions (for me this took 11 minutes). Once done, drain the water and add the cooked spaghetti to the pan with the sauce.
    • Add parsley and basil and stir to combine. Add the browned smoked sausage slices and stir to combine everything evenly. Serve with grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano.

    Notes

    Pan size: If your pan may be too small to comfortably add the pasta/sausage/herbs and toss to combine, add the drained spaghetti back into the pasta pot and stir together everything in there.
    Wine: Use a wine that's on the drier side, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or a Pinot Noir.
    Nutritional info is an estimate assuming the usage of turkey smoked sausage, but nonetheless will differ depending on what kind/what brand of sausage you use.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 395kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.1g | Protein: 16.7g | Fat: 11.8g | Saturated Fat: 2.3g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 916mg | Potassium: 242mg | Fiber: 5.1g | Sugar: 8.5g | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 4mg
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer

    Adapted from the Food Network

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    Comments

    1. Rebeca S says

      September 21, 2022 at 7:17 pm

      5 stars
      I tried this recipe tonight. And it was divine. Very quick, inexpensive. I added and omitted a few ingredients. But overall it was delish!! 10/10

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        September 24, 2022 at 3:17 pm

        I'm so glad you liked it! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    2. April says

      April 09, 2021 at 7:32 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I reduced the red pepper flakes because I'm a wimp, added broccoli to the pan with the sausage, and halved the pasta because it's only two of us. I also used thin spaghetti rather than regular spaghetti since that's what I had on hand. Everything else was as directed and it came out DELICIOUS. We had it with salad and garlic toast. I'm glad there are leftovers because we can't wait to have it again!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        April 12, 2021 at 9:13 am

        I'm so glad you liked it, April! Thanks for letting me know how it went. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. Yasmin says

      February 18, 2021 at 12:04 pm

      What if i have no wine but wine vinegar? And I don’t have crushed tomatoes, but pasta sauce

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        February 18, 2021 at 12:55 pm

        Hi Yasmin, in place of the wine you can use beef or chicken broth, or a splash of the wine vinegar (not the whole half-cup). If I had both on hand I'd use beef broth along with a tablespoon or so of the vinegar. As for the pasta sauce, that should work, but I might add a little water to thin it out to the consistency of crushed tomatoes if it's thicker. It'll be spiced/seasoned already so you may wish to start with less added salt, then take a taste at the end to see if you'd like more. I hope that's helpful!

        Reply
    4. Patti says

      August 05, 2019 at 6:34 pm

      5 stars
      In addition to the red pepper flakes, try some chipotle pepper flakes as well.....lowering the total amount of both. Yum!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        August 06, 2019 at 9:57 pm

        That does sound good! Thanks for the tip, Patti, and glad you liked it! πŸ™‚

        Reply
    5. Linz Raz says

      July 10, 2019 at 10:53 am

      4 stars
      My husband and I really enjoyed this recipe. Next time we will half the amount of pasta as there is just the two of us (and we loved the sausage in this meal, so more sausage per serving!). Also, it was pretty spicy, so for our taste preferences I will only use 1/2-1 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes. We are both really excited to add this to our rotation. πŸ™‚

      Reply
    6. Catherine says

      May 21, 2016 at 4:18 pm

      Dear Alyssa, this is my kinda of meal...what a hearty and delicious dish...perfect for Sunday supper. xo, Catherine

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        May 22, 2016 at 8:40 am

        Oh yes, definitely a Sunday supper meal. Thanks Catherine!

        Reply
    7. Anne says

      May 21, 2016 at 11:11 am

      This looks absolutely wonderful!!! Lovely flavors πŸ˜‰

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        May 22, 2016 at 8:39 am

        Thank you Anne!

        Reply
    8. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      May 20, 2016 at 6:26 am

      Ooo! My favorite pasta shape is orecchiette! Except...I've never found a GF/vegan one...yet ;P I need to try making my own pasta in that shape! Haha!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        May 20, 2016 at 6:50 am

        Ooh I do like orecchiette, too! If I happen to come across a GF/vegan variety I'll let you know. Though making it homemade might be quicker! Happy Friday, Rebecca!

        Reply

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