Creamy, cheesy, spicy and savory, this One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta meal has got it all!
I am so excited to share this cheesy smoked sausage pasta skillet recipe with you today! One pot meals are my favorite, and this one has just topped the list! Savory smoked sausage, creamy melted cheese, fragrant garlic, onions and tomatoes…all come together in a one skillet meal that is sure to please everyone in the family!
CHEESY SAUSAGE PASTA RECIPE
One Pot Meals are the best for busy families like mine because they are simple, come together in a flash and require minimal equipment and clean up. Some of our favorite one pot meals are One Pot Chicken Spaghetti, One Pot Creamy Chicken and Noodles and this One Pot Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta.
The best part is it takes only about 20 minutes from start to finish. These one pot meals have become my go-to weeknight dinners. Pair with a salad and you’re good to go!
I love smoked sausage, and it was perfect paired with the other flavors in this recipe. I can’t wait to create some more!
HOW TO MAKE ONE POT CHEESY SMOKED SAUSAGE PASTA
The steps for this recipe are quick and easy. Saute your Hillshire Farm Smoked Turkey Sausage (or any brand will do) with some onion and garlic, then add a can of Rotel diced tomatoes, pasta, cream, chicken broth and seasons. It only takes about 15 minutes to cook – add some cheese and you’re good to go!
-
Cook onions, garlic and smoked sausage in a large, deep saute pan and cook until lightly browned.
-
Add chicken broth, Rotel tomatoes (or plain tomatoes, with or without chiles is your call), milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover it with the lid and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the pasta is tender.
-
Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about five minutes to allow cheese to melt. Feel free to use your favorite melty cheese, like Mozzarella or Jack. Pepper Jack would add even more heat so that’s another great option.
A lot of people ask what pan I use for this smoked sausage recipe. I use my Simply Calphalon Nonstick 5-qt. Sauté Pan. It’s a great non-stick pan, it’s held up fabulously for years, and clean up is a snap! I recently purchased a Calphalon Tri-Ply Stainless Steel 12″ Everyday Pan and that one is just as fabulous. Both are perfect for any of my one pot meals.
HOW TO SERVE ONE PAN SAUSAGE PASTA
We love to serve this sausage pasta with a simple green salad and maybe some fresh bread on the side. You could also add your favorite veggies to the mix, like zucchini or broccoli.
WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO REHEAT PASTA?
Reheating pasta with a cheesy sauce in the microwave can be tricky. Add a couple of splashes of milk or cream per serving, then heat at 50% power for several minutes, stirring at one minute intervals. This will keep the sauce nice and creamy. There’s nothing worse than a cheese sauce that has become curdled and separates.
If your pasta was not stored with a sauce, drizzle on a little olive oil before heating.
WANT MORE SMOKED SAUSAGE RECIPES?
- Sausage & Apple Sheet Pan Dinner
- One Pan Creamy Tortellini and Sausage
- White Bean, Kale & Sausage Soup
- Smoked Sausage and Potatoes Hash
- Smoked Sausage and Potato Sheet Pan Dinner
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like some of my other one pot meals:
- One Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- One Pot Cheesy Chicken Pasta
- One Pan Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta
- One Pot Chicken Cacciatore
On Pan Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound Smoked Turkey Sausage sliced
- 1 cup diced onion about 1 medium onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic about 2-3 fresh cloves
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes (with or without chiles) (like rotel)
- 1/2 cup milk or heavy cream
- 8 ounces dry pasta like rotini, penne or farfalle
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup shredded Cheddar-Jack cheese
- 1/3 cup sliced scallions for garnish
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a 5 quart saute pan over medium high heat. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add chicken broth, tomatoes (undrained), milk, pasta, and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Turn off the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and cover for about five minutes to allow cheese to melt. Top with sliced scallions and serve. (You could also broil for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese).
Notes
Nutrition
*Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Simple Recipes Cookbook. For a complete list of recipes on the site, be sure to go here.
So good and so easy! Husband loved it and the leftovers were amazing!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Suzy.
So yummy! This is now a staple in our house!
Definitely use cream as opposed to milk and we use the farfalle pasta. Also like the tomatoes with Italian seasoning in them and add way more garlic!!
Nice! Awesome feedback Robin! Thanks for stopping by.
This was awesome! I added quartered zucchini slices to health it up!
Nice! Thanks for stopping Jodi.
I’ve made this recipe many, many times. It goes into our monthly rotation of dinners. This delicious recipe is a hit both with the kids and the adults. I’ve improvised here and there, depending on what I have on hand. I do always add in some kind of veggie. Tonight I added chopped fresh asparagus, but other nights I’ve added chopped green beans, broccoli, red pepper, or shredded carrots (always trying to sneak some veggies in for the children). Thank you for posting this recipe! It is a perfect for a busy evening and I love that it is only 1 pot!
Awesome feedback Natalie! Thank you so much for stopping by.
Do you cook the pasta first?
Nope! It cooks in the liquid you’ll add to the skillet.
I have made this recipe so many times and don’t think I’ve ever left it a review. It’s wonderful the way you gave it written but I have changed the meat, broth, and spices to work with what I have on hand and it has still never let me down. The kids always enjoy it as do my husband and I. Excellent recipe for a busy night or when the cupboards are running a little low. Thank you!
You are so welcome Michelle! Awesome feedback, thanks for stopping by.
This recipe was awesome! I used Mexican cheese because it was all i had and it was absolutely delicious and so cheap and easy! Can this recipe be doubled?
It would be difficult to double because it it would need a much larger pan. Deeper pots don’t always work as well. You could try it in a large, deep dutch oven, and it would probably work but might not have the same quality.
We were unsure at first, but we loved it Hubby gave his classic response to something he really likes: “You can fix this again sometime.” LOL Thanks for a great recipe!
You are so welcome Monna! Thanks for stopping by.
great dish i added some peas carrots and green peppers
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Marsha.
Absolutely delicious. Thanks for the recipe.
You are so welcome Doug! Thanks for stopping by.
Cheers for the recipe. I was stuck for ideas for dinner as I only had odds and ends in my cupboards, but I had all of these ingredients except instead of turkey sausage I had smoked pork sausage, and I only had plain cheddar cheese, but it still turned out awesome. I added a little paprika and chilli flakes to give it a Spanish paella feel, worked a treat!
Nice! Thank you Caro for the awesome feedback.
My husband found this recipe a couple years ago. We love it. The sauce is so good when you cook the pasta in it. We use 4-pepper Ekrich sausage and hot Rotel tomatoes to give it extra spice. Very good.
Thanks
Awesome feedback Ann! Thank you so much for stopping by.
What an easy, fantastic recipe!! It was definitely a hit in my house! The only change I made was I used fire roasted, crushed tomatoes instead of the rotel (we have some picky eaters that don’t like tomatoes or spicy things). I will make this again and try adding mushrooms to it.
Hi Tiffany, awesome feedback. Thank you so much for stopping by.
So simple and can be turned into an Italian inspired dish easily (because my children won’t eat most “spicy” things). I subbed tomatoes with basil and garlic for the Rotel and used mozzarella cheese. It was gone in one sitting and they asked if it could go in the rotation! That’s a winner!
Awesome feedback Becca! Thank you so much for stopping.
This recipe is delicious. With the onion, I added fresh mushrooms and green bell peppers. I used cheddar and pepper jack cheese. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Awesome feedback Rachael! Thanks for stopping by.
Tasty and easy so a perfect addition to our weeknight rotation. I used smoked sausage, heavy cream, mild rotel & farmhouse style mexican blend cheese. Everyone enjoyed it, kids included. Next time I’ll try out some veggies in it! I’m eating leftovers right now for lunch and it’s still yummy.
Awesome feedback Nikki! Thanks for stopping by.
The kids and I enjoyed this cheesy sausage pasta dish. I used turkey kielbasa, 1% milk and reduced-fat Mexican blend cheese to make it healthier. It came out so yummy! What little leftovers there were reheated perfectly for lunch the next day.
Hi Christine, Thank you so much for the awesome feedback.
Sorry, didn’t see the stars. Here you go!
Thanks!