If you’re anything like me, dinner sometimes sneaks up on you like a wave you forgot to watch. And when it does? This Jamie Oliver sausage pasta from his 30 Minute Meals book is the kind of lifeboat I grab. It’s loud with flavor—fatty sausage browned to just-crisp, balsamic tang that clings to the back of your throat, and that perfect slap of heat from chillies you probably second-guessed. I didn’t expect it to be so… well, complete. Still thinking about it. (inspired by Jamie Oliver)
Ingredients Needed
- 4 spring onions (about 100g)
- 1 carrot (roughly 80g)
- 1 stick of celery (around 75g)
- 1 or 2 fresh red chillies (10–20g)
- 1 x 6-pack sausages (about 400g)
- 1 heaped tsp fennel seeds (approx. 2g)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (about 1g)
- 500g dried penne pasta
- 4 garlic cloves (around 15g)
- 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar (about 60ml)
- 1 tin chopped tomatoes (400g)
- a few sprigs of basil (about 10g)
- olive oil (for frying, approx. 2 tbsp or 30ml)
- sea salt, black pepper (to taste)
- Parmesan cheese (about 40g, grated)
How To Make Jamie Oliver Sausage Pasta 30 Minute Meals
- Start with the veg. Nothing fancy—just rough chop your spring onions, carrot, and celery. Toss them into the processor with the chillies (remove the stalks, not the attitude). Blitz it until it looks like a rustic salsa. Not too smooth.
- Now, sausages. Squeeze them out of their skins if you want things to get messy. Fennel seeds, oregano—into the processor too. Just pulse. Don’t let it become a paste. You want texture. Spoon that fragrant chaos into a hot pan with a glug of olive oil. It’ll sizzle and pop. Stir it. Break it up. Smell that? That’s dinner finding its voice.
- Meanwhile, pasta. Big pot, lots of salted water. Boil. Dump the penne in and keep the lid half-cocked so it doesn’t foam over like some soap opera. Cook until it’s got bite. You know the drill.
- Back to the pan. Smash the garlic cloves, skins on. Toss them in. They’ll mellow and perfume the oil. Add the balsamic—four bold tablespoons—and let it hiss. Then the tomatoes. All of them. Let it simmer until the sauce thickens and starts to cling to the spoon like it means it. Add a little pasta water if it goes dry. That stuff is liquid gold.
- Drain the pasta. Keep back a little of the water, always. Mix the pasta into the sausage sauce. Stir. Add a splash of water until it glides—not slops, not clumps. Season. Then scatter with torn basil and a blizzard of Parmesan. Don’t hold back.
Why I Love This Recipe
There’s something about this recipe. Maybe it’s the way the balsamic sneaks into the sausage, or how everything comes together in this rich, almost reckless way. I made it on a night I didn’t want to cook. And then I made it again. It’s comforting without apology. My family hovered over the pan like vultures.
Recipe Tips
- Good sausages = better everything. Skip the cheap ones.
- Not into spicy, De-seed those chillies or use just half.
- Out of basil, No biggie. Use parsley. Or skip it.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Mushy ruins everything.
- Add spinach at the end if you’re feeling noble.
How To Store This Jamie Oliver Mushroom Risotto 30 Minute Meals
- Room Temp Let it cool. You’ve got maybe an hour. Any longer and it starts to feel… sketchy.
- Fridge Once it’s cool, into a container it goes. Eat within 3 days. Flavor deepens. It’s even better, honestly.
- Freezer Yeah, you can. Let it cool first, then freeze in a container. Keeps for 2 months. Reheat slowly.
- Reheating Microwave: Short blasts, stir between. Add a splash of water. Don’t let it dry. Stovetop: Gentle heat. Bit of broth or water. Stir until it sings. Oven: 180°C, foil on, 20 mins. Like reviving a sleeping giant.
Let’s Answer a Few Questions!
Can I make this the day before?
Yes. And do. The flavors hug tighter overnight.
Will it be spicy?
Only if you let it. You’ve got control—use it.
Different pasta okay?
Totally. Use whatever grabs sauce. Shells, Rigatoni? Go wild.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
- Calories: 665.8
- Carbs: 54.8g
- Protein: 26.5g
- Fat: 38.2g
- Sugar: 8.5g
- Fibre: 5.5g
- Sodium: 1073.6mg
Try More Recipe:
- Jamie Oliver Feta Spinach Pie 30 Minute Meals
- Jamie Oliver Duck Salad 30 Minute Meals
- Jamie Oliver Thai Green Curry 30 Minute Meals
- Jamie Oliver Chicken Thighs 30 Minute Meals
Jamie Oliver Sausage Pasta 30 Minute Meals
Course: 30 Minute Meals RecipesCuisine: British4
servings10
30
minutes605
Fast, fiery, and comforting—this sausage pasta hits all the right notes when dinner needs to be loud and loved.
Ingredients
100g spring onions
80g carrot
75g celery
10–20g red chillies
400g sausages
2g fennel seeds
1g dried oregano
500g penne
60ml balsamic vinegar
400g chopped tomatoes
10g basil
30ml olive oil
Salt
Pepper
40g Parmesan
Directions
- Blitz the spring onions, carrot, celery, and chillies in a food processor until finely chopped.
- Add sausages, fennel seeds, and oregano. Pulse again until roughly combined but still chunky.
- Heat a large frying pan with olive oil, then cook the sausage mixture, breaking it up as it browns.
- Add balsamic vinegar and chopped tomatoes. Let it simmer until thick and rich.
- Boil the penne in salted water until al dente, then drain—reserve a little pasta water.
- Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce. Add a splash of pasta water if needed to loosen.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Tear and scatter the basil over the top.
- Grate Parmesan generously all over.
- Serve hot, no delay.
Notes
- Good sausages = better everything. Skip the cheap ones.
- Not into spicy, De-seed those chillies or use just half.
- Out of basil, No biggie. Use parsley. Or skip it.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Mushy ruins everything.
- Add spinach at the end if you’re feeling noble.