Cauliflower Tomato Pasta with Sausage

This Italian Cauliflower Tomato Pasta is a healthy and flavorful meal! It's made with penne tossed with chicken sausage and Parmesan cheese.

This Cauliflower Sausage Pasta makes a great weeknight dinner. It's hearty, healthy, easy to prepare, and ready in a little more than 30 minutes!

You can never have too many pasta recipes on hand. Pasta is such a great meal when you want something flavorful but don't want to put too much effort into it.

I love pasta because you can add just about anything to it and chances are it will be tasty. Pasta is a great 'clean out the fridge' meal and this one is no exception. It's made with only a few ingredients requires minimal effort.

This one is made in a skillet on the stove top with sautéed garlic, shallots, and cauliflower florets along with your favorite chicken sausages. Diced tomatoes and Parmesan are added for even more flavor.

You can garnish this pasta with fresh basil or parsley to brighten the whole thing up. This recipe is gluten free and calls for gluten free short pasta such as penne, but you can use regular short pasta if gluten is not an issue for you.

Jump to:

• What Does Cauliflower Pair Well With?
• Ingredients For Cauliflower Tomato Pasta
• Which Gluten Free Pasta Is Best?
• Which Sausage Is Best For Pasta?
• How To Make Cauliflower Tomato Pasta
• Which Skillet Is Best For This Pasta?
• What To Serve With Cauliflower Sausage Pasta
• How Long Does This Pasta Last In The Fridge?
• Can It Be Frozen?
• Cauliflower Tomato Pasta with Sausage

What Does Cauliflower Pair Well With?

Cauliflower is one of those culinary powerhouses that's super versatile in terms of flavor and function. These days, you can turn cauliflower into everything from rice to pizza crust to steaks to wings.

It's a hearty vegetable that tastes great sautéed, roasted, grilled, pickled or pureed. This versatile veggie is delicious added to soups, casseroles, salads, and, in this case, pasta.

Cauliflower has a naturally sweet and earthy flavor that tends to work nicely with lots of other ingredients without overpowering them.

It's inexpensive and a great vegetable to have on hand because it is so versatile. Cauliflower is definitely one of those things you can make work for you.

Ingredients For Cauliflower Tomato Pasta

Here's what you'll need to make it.

• 6 cloves Garlic
• 2 Shallots (or 1 small onion, any color)
• 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil (split)
• 1 package Chicken Sausages (such as Italian chicken or spinach feta chicken sausage)
• 4-5 cups Cauliflower Florets
• 1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
• ½ tsp. Kosher Salt
• ¼ tsp. Pepper
• 1 14.5 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
• ½ cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (split)
• 1 package Gluten Free Penne Pasta (or any gluten free short pasta or regular short pasta if not gluten free)
• ½ cup Parmesan Cheese (grated)
• Fresh Basil or Parsley for garnish

If you love cauliflower be sure to check out this Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Tahini Roasted Cauliflower!

Which Gluten Free Pasta Is Best?

This recipe is gluten free and calls for a gluten free variety of short pasta, such as penne, farfalle, rotini, or fusilli. Feel free to use any variety of short pasta if gluten is not an issue for you.

When it comes to gluten free pasta, not all brands are created equal. It's important to choose a quality brand of pasta that maintains its texture and flavor when cooked.

I love the Jovial Brown Rice Penne for this Cauliflower Tomato Pasta. It's hearty, tastes great, and holds up nicely after cooking. However, you can use your favorite brand of gluten free pasta. Tinkyada and Barilla are also great options.

Here are some tips and tricks I have discovered over the years to achieve success when making gluten free pasta:

• It's very important not to overcook the pasta. Make sure to cook the penne just until al dente.
• As soon as the pasta is cooked just until al dente, drain the noodles and rinse them immediately under cold water. This will prevent them from sticking together and helps them to retain their texture.
• Rinsing the noodles allows them to be tossed with all of the other ingredients in the skillet without falling apart or becoming mushy.

Which Sausage Is Best For Pasta?

Pasta can be made with nearly any type of sausage, but I tend to prefer chicken sausage, because it's lighter and not as greasy as pork sausage.

I find that chicken sausage compliments all of the other ingredients without overwhelming them.

There are a number of chicken sausage brands on the market. This pasta works well using sausage with Italian or Mediterranean flavors, such as mild or spicy Italian sausage or Spinach and Feta Sausage but you can opt for something like Cajun or Andouille if you prefer.

Make sure to choose a brand of chicken sausage that is gluten free if gluten is an issue for you. Aidells Sausage Company, Al Fresco, and Applegate Farms are all brands that offer great products.

Love chicken sausage? Check out these recipes!

• Chicken Sausage Spaghetti
• Sausage Lentil Kale Soup
• Sheet Pan Chicken Sausage and Veggies
• Butternut Squash Sausage Soup

How To Make Cauliflower Tomato Pasta

This recipe is made in a skillet on the stove top. The sausages are sliced and sautéed in the skillet with some olive oil. This helps to draw out some of the fat, which provides the pasta with great flavor.

The sausages are then removed and the garlic, shallots, and cauliflower florets are sautéed in the skillet. Diced tomatoes are added near the end of the cooking process along with the cooked pasta and grated Parmesan cheese.

1. Start by preparing 1 package of gluten free penne or short pasta of choice (or regular short pasta if not gluten free) according to package instructions. Cook the pasta just until al dente. It's very important not to overcook gluten free pasta, or it will become mushy.
2. Once the pasta is cooked just until al dente, place a strainer in the sink and drain the pasta. Run the cooked pasta under cold water. This will help stop the cooking process and help the pasta to retain its shape (this step is not necessary if using regular pasta).
3. Mince 6 cloves of garlic and 2 shallots (or 1 small onion, any variety).
4. Cut 1 small head or ½ a large head of cauliflower into florets, making sure they are relatively the same size to ensure that the cauliflower cooks evenly (yields 4-5 cups cauliflower florets).
5. Cut 1 package of chicken sausages of choice into slices.
6. Grate ½ cup of Parmesan (can sub Asiago or Romano) cheese.
7. Place a large skillet on the stove top and heat to medium-high. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet.
8. Once the oil is heated, add the sliced sausages and sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally (the sausages should be cooked through and golden brown on the outside). Remove the sausage and set aside.
9. Add another 1 Tbsp. of olive oil to the skillet. Add the minced garlic and onions to the skillet. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring often.
10. Add the cauliflower florets along with 1 tsp. Italian seasoning, ½ tsp. kosher salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper. Stir until combined and sauté for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
11. Pour ¼ cup of low sodium chicken broth into the skillet and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spatula as the cauliflower cooks.
12. Pour 1 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes into the skillet and stir until completely combined.

Which Skillet Is Best For This Pasta?

This is a hearty pasta and requires a large skillet in order to fit all of the ingredients. I recommend using at least a 12 inch skillet so that everything fits without splling over.

I used a 12 inch enameled cast iron skillet and found that it to be adequate, but you can go larger if you'd like.

Once all of the components of the pasta are ready, it's time to pile all of them into the skillet and allow them to finish cooking in there.

1. Place the drained and rinsed pasta into the skillet along with the sautéed sausages and ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese.
2. Pour another ¼ cup of low sodium chicken broth into the skillet.
3. Carefully stir all of the ingredients together so that the pasta stays intact.
4. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the pasta is heated through and the Parmesan cheese melted.

The cauliflower should be tender, but not mushy at the end of the cooking time.

All of the other ingredients are cooked, so at this point it's a matter of heating them through.

What To Serve With Cauliflower Sausage Pasta

I love to top any pasta with some fresh herbs for garnish. Fresh herbs add an extra pop of color or flavor to this Cauliflower Tomato Pasta.

Feel free to garnish the dish with some basil, parsley, or fresh herbs of choice. You can also add some extra grated Parmesan cheese if you'd like.

Pasta dishes are perfect served alongside a bright and flavorful salad like a green side salad or Caesar salad. This Italian green bean salad, marinated tomato salad, or fresh mint pea salad are also great options.

These roasted green beans or air fryer parsnips are simple and make a great side dish.

For a flavorful appetizer, check out this Kalamata olive tapenade or roasted mushroom tapenade. Both are perfect served with pasta on some toasted crostini.

How Long Does This Pasta Last In The Fridge?

Any leftover pasta may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

Make sure the pasta has cooled completely before transferring to the fridge for storage.

Can It Be Frozen?

For optimal taste and texture, I do not recommend freezing this pasta.

Love pasta? Check out these recipes!

• Vegetarian Mediterranean Pasta
• Leek Pancetta Pasta
• Chicken Marsala Pasta
• One Pot Veggie Pasta
• Kale and Pancetta Pasta
• Olive Mushroom Pasta
• Ground Turkey Spinach Pasta

Looking For More Cauliflower Recipes? Don't Miss These!

Cheesy Bacon Cauliflower Bake

Instant Pot Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower Pizza Crust