Tagliatelle with Italian Sausage, Zucchini & Cherry Tomatoes | Mama Florence Cooking School

Fresh Tagliatelle with Sausage, Zucchini and Cherry Tomatoes

This pasta brings together two very different textures in one dish. The Italian sausage is browned until fully cooked and savory, while the zucchini and cherry tomatoes are left fresh and marinated with extra virgin olive oil, salt, Parmigiano, and basil. At Mama Florence Cooking School, our recipe does not cook the vegetables down into a traditional sauce. Instead, the hot fresh tagliatelle is first tossed with the sausage, then the marinated zucchini and tomatoes are folded in off the heat. That keeps the vegetables brighter, fresher, and more distinct. The pasta itself is made from semola flour and eggs, using the same fresh-pasta foundations you can practice with our Fresh Egg Tagliatelle.

How to Make Tagliatelle with Sausage and Zucchini

Begin with the fresh pasta dough. Combine semola flour and eggs, knead until smooth and elastic, then cover and rest for at least 15 minutes. While the dough rests, dice the zucchini and cherry tomatoes. Dress them with extra virgin olive oil, salt, grated Parmigiano, and fresh basil, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Remove the sausage from its casing, crumble the meat, and brown it until completely cooked. Roll the rested pasta dough through a pasta machine, cut it into tagliatelle, and form the strands loosely into nests. Boil the fresh tagliatelle in salted water until cooked. Drain well and toss immediately with the browned sausage. Remove the pan from the heat, fold in the marinated zucchini and tomatoes, and serve hot.

Mama’s Secret: Add the marinated vegetables only after the pan comes off the heat. The contrast between hot tagliatelle and fresh zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and Parmigiano is part of the character of this recipe.

Tagliatelle Ingredients:

• 14 oz semola flour • 4 eggs • Extra semola, as needed for dusting

Sausage, Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Sauce Ingredients:

• 3 Italian sausages • 2 zucchini • 5¼ oz cherry tomatoes • Grated Parmigiano, as needed • 7 fresh basil leaves • Extra virgin olive oil, as needed • Salt, as needed

1. Make the Tagliatelle Dough

• Place the 14 oz semola flour in a medium bowl.
• Add the 4 eggs.
• Mix until a dough begins to form.

2. Knead the Dough

• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.
• Knead with the palm of your hand until the dough becomes smooth, soft, elastic, and compact.
• Shape into a ball.

3. Rest the Dough

• Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap.
• Leave it at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

4. Prepare the Vegetables

• Wash and dry the 2 zucchini and 5¼ oz cherry tomatoes.
• Dice both into small cubes.
• Transfer to a medium bowl.

5. Marinate the Zucchini and Tomatoes

• Dress the vegetables with:

           • Extra virgin olive oil • Salt • Grated Parmigiano • 7 fresh basil leaves

• Mix well.
• Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

6. Prepare the Sausage

• Remove the casings from the 3 Italian sausages.
• Crumble the meat into small pieces.

7. Brown the Sausage

• Place the crumbled sausage in a nonstick pan.
• If using a standard sauté pan instead, coat the bottom lightly with heated extra virgin olive oil.
• Cook until the sausage is browned and cooked through.
• Remove from the heat and set aside.

8. Roll the Pasta Dough

• Remove the plastic wrap from the rested dough.
• Shape the dough into a rectangle approximately the width of your pasta machine.
• Dust the machine generously with semola.
• Begin rolling the dough through the machine.
• Continue passing it through progressively thinner settings until the desired thickness is reached.

9. Cut the Tagliatelle

• Dust the work surface generously with semola.
• Cut the pasta sheets into manageable lengths.
• Attach the tagliatelle cutter to the pasta machine and pass each sheet through.
• Form the cut tagliatelle loosely into nests.
• Place them on a wooden board dusted with additional semola.

10. Cook the Fresh Tagliatelle

• Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.
• Add the fresh tagliatelle.
• Cook until done, tasting the pasta to judge the texture.
• Drain thoroughly.

11. Toss with the Sausage

• Transfer the hot tagliatelle directly to the sauté pan with the cooked sausage.
• Toss gently until the pasta and sausage are evenly combined.

12. Add the Marinated Vegetables

• Remove the pan from the heat.
• Add the chilled marinated zucchini, cherry tomatoes, basil, Parmigiano, and their dressing.
• Toss gently until everything is distributed through the hot pasta.

13. Serve

• Divide among individual plates.
• Serve immediately while the tagliatelle is still hot and the vegetables retain their fresh texture.

Why the Zucchini and Tomatoes Are Marinated

The vegetables are not meant to become a cooked tomato-and-zucchini sauce. Marinating them in olive oil, salt, Parmigiano, and basil allows the vegetables to develop flavor while preserving their freshness. The salt draws a little moisture from the tomatoes and zucchini, creating a light natural dressing. When that mixture meets the hot pasta, it warms gently without fully cooking.

Why the Vegetables Are Added Off the Heat

Adding the vegetables after the pan comes off the stove protects their texture. The cherry tomatoes remain juicy rather than collapsing into sauce. The zucchini retains some freshness and bite. And the basil stays aromatic instead of becoming dark and heavily cooked. This is what distinguishes the dish from a traditional cooked zucchini pasta sauce such as our Zucchini & Leek Sauce.

Why Italian Sausage Works with Fresh Vegetables

Italian sausage brings richness, salt, and savory depth. That gives the pasta enough weight to stand up to fresh zucchini and tomato without requiring cream or a heavy cooked sauce. Browning the sausage separately also means the vegetables remain clean and fresh in flavor rather than cooking in rendered meat fat.

Why Fresh Basil Matters

Basil brings the aromatic bridge between the tomato, zucchini, Parmigiano, and olive oil. Because it is added to the cold marinade rather than cooked in the pan, its flavor remains especially fresh. For another recipe that puts basil at the center, our Fresh Basil Pesto combines fresh basil with cheese, nuts, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. You can also explore our guide to basil in Italian cuisine for more on how the herb is used in Italian cooking.

Why Homemade Tagliatelle Works Here

Tagliatelle has enough surface area to carry both the sausage and the lighter vegetable dressing. Fresh egg pasta also has a softer, more delicate texture than many dried pastas, which works particularly well with a sauce that is partly fresh rather than heavily cooked. If you want to practice the pasta itself separately, our Fresh Egg Tagliatelle focuses specifically on the dough, rolling, and cutting technique.

The Perfect Bite

The tagliatelle should be soft but still structured enough to hold the sausage and vegetables. The sausage gives the first savory hit. Then come the cool, juicy cherry tomatoes, fresh zucchini, basil, olive oil, and salty Parmigiano. The best forkful catches a ribbon of tagliatelle with a little browned sausage and pieces of both marinated vegetables. The contrast between warm pasta and fresh vegetables is what makes the dish distinctive.

More Italian Pasta Recipes to Explore

For another handmade tagliatelle preparation, start with our Fresh Egg Tagliatelle and explore different sauces from there. If you like zucchini but want a completely cooked vegetable sauce, our Zucchini & Leek Sauce slowly cooks zucchini with leek, garlic, herbs, Parmigiano, and olive oil. For a brighter herb-based pasta sauce, our Fresh Basil Pesto is another natural pairing with fresh pasta. And for a richer meat-based direction, our Handmade Cavatelli with Beef Ragù pairs hand-shaped pasta with a beef sauce simmered for at least two hours.

Learn Fresh Pasta in Florence

Fresh tagliatelle is one of the most useful pasta techniques to learn because the same fundamental skills carry into many other shapes. The important steps are judging dough consistency, kneading until elastic, resting the dough, rolling it progressively thinner, and cutting clean, even strands. At Mama Florence Cooking School, you can explore our Cooking Classes in Florence, including hands-on fresh pasta and traditional Italian cooking experiences. For a deeper Tuscan menu, our Tuscan Traditional Cooking Course explores regional cooking techniques as part of a complete meal.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What pasta is used in this recipe? A: Our recipe uses handmade fresh tagliatelle made from semola flour and eggs.

Q: How many servings does the recipe make? A: It serves 4.

Q: How much flour do I need for the tagliatelle? A: The recipe uses 14 oz semola flour with 4 eggs.

Q: How long should the pasta dough rest? A: Rest it at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

Q: Are the zucchini and tomatoes cooked? A: No. They are diced, marinated for at least 30 minutes, and added to the pasta after the pan comes off the heat.

Q: How many sausages are used? A: The recipe uses 3 Italian sausages.

Q: Should I remove the sausage casings? A: Yes. Remove the casings and crumble the meat before browning.

Q: How much cherry tomato is used? A: The recipe uses approximately 5¼ oz cherry tomatoes.

Q: How long should the vegetables marinate? A: At least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Q: When is the Parmigiano added? A: It is added to the zucchini and tomato marinade before chilling.

Q: Can I cook the vegetables with the sausage? A: That is not the method used in our recipe. The vegetables are specifically marinated and folded into the pasta off the heat.

Q: Why are the vegetables added at the end? A: It preserves their fresh texture, color, and flavor while allowing the heat of the pasta to warm them gently.

 

Disclaimer

Please note that our chefs may adapt recipes according to seasonal ingredient availability and participants’ dietary or allergy requirements. As a result, the ingredients, preparation, or presentation shown in this recipe may vary from what you prepared during your Mama Florence class. In some cases, elements of a dish may also appear as separate recipes. Please reach out to our team if any confusion arises. Thank you - the Mama Florence Family

Reviews

4.8 9 reviews

1. Two teenagers and no complaints, which I consider a small miracle.

   Marco T.

   Rome, Italy · June 2026

2. One guest asked if I had bought it, which I have decided to take as a compliment.

   Joost M.

   Eindhoven, Netherlands · February 2026

3. Second time lucky. The first attempt tore because I rushed the resting; the note about covering it properly is not optional, it turns out.

   Hannah S.

   York, UK · December 2025

4. I was cooking for people with completely different tastes and this satisfied all of them.

   Stefan B.

   Munich, Germany · November 2025

Show all 9 reviews