Tender sautéed mushrooms, sausage, and spinach spruce up this creamy sausage fettuccine alfredo into a luxurious pasta dinner.
Fancy pastas like this one are what dinner dreams are made of! No one needs to know that it’s also easy as heck at the same time.
We’re no stranger to a crazy spin on fettuccine alfredo around here but I wanted to keep the flavors classic with this version today. A little sautéed mushroom, baby spinach, and sausage action did the trick perfectly.
Plus we’re hitting all our veggie + protein goals at the same time so you bet this fettuccine makes an entire meal all by itself.
I was hoping to have this recipe ready in time for Valentine’s Day last week but better late than never! This is definitely one of those comforting pasta dishes you won’t complain about having on the rotation year-round.
This Fettuccine Alfredo Features…
- Browned sausage bits and tender sautéed mushrooms and spinach
- A creamy Parmesan alfredo sauce
- Tender fettuccine pasta
Making the Fettuccine Alfredo
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Vegetable oil
- Sweet Italian sausage
- Mushrooms
- Baby spinach
- Garlic
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- 2% or skim milk
- Heavy whipping cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Fettuccine
Choosing Your Sausage
I recommend using a ground sweet Italian sausage for this alfredo. Alternatively, if you like heat you can use a spicy Italian sausage. Sliced sausage links also work great in this recipe.
Tips for Perfect Fettuccine Alfredo
- Make a roux – a roux is equal parts butter and flour and it is the base to your sauce that’s made by whisking constantly over medium heat until a light golden brown.
- Slowly drizzle in milk + cream – use a whisk to evenly incorporate the liquids into the roux to avoid lumps from forming.
- Cook sauce over medium heat – once the milk and cream have been added, cook the sauce over medium heat and stir often to avoid burning. The sauce is done when it’s bubbly and can coat the back of a spoon.
- Freshly grate Parmesan – freshly grating the Parmesan will give your alfredo sauce a much better flavor and will melt better.
- Cook pasta to al dente – the pasta will continue cooking a bit in the sauce so make sure to cook only to al dente.
- Reserve pasta cooking water – set aside 1 cup pasta cooking water to help loosen up the sauce.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this fettuccine alfredo.
- Use another meat – try ground chicken, turkey, cooked shredded chicken, or bacon bits. You can also skip the meat entirely for a vegetarian-friendly dish.
- Try a different cheese – replace the Parmesan with asiago cheese.
- Swap out pastas – try bucatini, linguine, or spaghetti.
- Try different veggies – sweet peppers, kale, or peas would all work great here.
Serving Suggestions
This fettuccine alfredo is hearty enough that we usually don’t end up serving it alongside a meat. I like to serve it with a little green salad and some garlic bread/crostini.
Every bite of this fettuccine alfredo is packed with savory flavors + textures! The juicy sausage holds up so well against the creamy sauce with all the soft mushrooms and tender fettuccine.
Do note that extra Parmesan on your personal plate is NOT optional here!
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.
More alfredo recipes you’ve gotta try next!
- Lemon Dill Spinach Alfredo Tortellini
- Crispy Cajun Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Alfredo Fettuccine Alfredo
Mushroom Sausage Fettuccine Alfredo
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1/2 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
- 8 oz button or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1-1/2 cups firmly-packed baby spinach
- 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 cups 2% or skim milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 12 oz dry fettuccine (cooked according to package instructions until al dente and 1 cup pasta water reserved)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Additional grated Parmesan cheese for topping
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, and swirl to coat pan. Add sausage and sauté over medium-high heat until sausage is no longer pink. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a bowl.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to pan. Add mushrooms and sauté 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat until mushrooms are nearly tender. Add spinach and garlic and cook 2-3 additional minutes until spinach is wilted Season mushrooms and spinach with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to bowl with sausage.
- Melt butter in same pan you used for the mushrooms over medium heat. Whisk flour into butter and cook 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
- Slowly begin drizzling in milk and whipping cream, whisking constantly until sauce is smooth. Cook sauce over medium heat, stirring occasionally until sauce is bubbly and thickened. Remove from heat and whisk in Parmesan cheese until melted.
- Fold cooked fettuccine, sausage, and mushrooms/spinach into sauce and return to medium heat, cooking 2-3 minutes until pasta is evenly coated, thinning sauce with a few splashes of reserved pasta water as needed. Season pasta with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve fettuccine alfredo warm with additional grated Parmesan cheese on top. Enjoy!
Kelly says
Very delicious recipe! I used linguini instead a fettuccine noodles. I did add about a cup of pasta water to thin out the dish. I served with garlic Italian bread. Very rich—would be good served with a salad and vinegarette dressing.
Sarah says
That’s so great to hear, Kelly! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback. 🙂