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Creamy, cheesy, spicy and savory, this One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta meal has got it all!
This cheesy smoked sausage pasta skillet recipe is one of our favorite One Pot Meals. 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.
Love meals with smoked sausage? Be sure to try our Instant Pot Jambalaya with Shrimp and Sausage or Smoked Sausage and Potato Sheet Pan Dinner.
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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 garden salad and you’re good to go!
I love smoked sausage, and it was perfectly paired with the other flavors in this recipe.
Ingredients for Smoked Sausage Pasta
- Smoked Turkey Sausage – Any smoked sausage will work, like beef or pork or a kielbasa.
- Diced Onion – To add flavor with the sausage.
- Minced Garlic – Fresh garlic is best, but you can also use jarred minced garlic.
- Chicken Broth – I always buy the low sodium broth so I can control the salt.
- Rotel – Tomatoes with green chiles to add some heat. You can use just regular tomatoes if you want to keep it mild and more kid friendly.
- Heavy Cream – For the sauce.
- Small Pasta – Like rotini, penne, or farfalle.
- Cheddar-Jack Cheese – I like to use the mixture of jack and cheddar, but either will work.
- Green Onions – for garnish.
How to Make One Pot Cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta
See recipe card below for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- The steps for this recipe are quick and easy so you can bring it to your dinner table fast. 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 ½ 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.
FAQs
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 separated. If your pasta was not stored with a sauce, drizzle on a little olive oil before heating.
This type of sausage has been smoked, which means it’s fully cooked in the process. There is no need to cook it again, but you may want to heat it up.
Smoked sausage is already fully cooked, so you aren’t really cooking it, but warming it up. The best way to do this is in a skillet so you can get some char and caramelization on the sides of the sausage. It adds a ton of flavor and really brings out the juiciness of the smoked sausage.
How To Serve and Variations
We love to serve this sausage pasta with a copycat Olive Garden Salad and maybe some fresh bread on the side.
You could add your favorite veggies to the mix, like mushrooms, zucchini, bell peppers, or broccoli. Just saute with the onions and let cook fully with the pasta and sausage.
Bring the heat even more by adding some red pepper flakes. Or, use a spicy andouille sausage instead.
Storage and Reheating
Storage – Place leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing – You can freeze this dish, but the cream might break down upon reheating so I don’t really recommend it.
Reheating – Thaw first if frozen. Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until hot.
Helpful Tips
- If there is still a lot of thin liquid, you can spoon some of that out before adding the cheese. You do need some liquid to create the sauce though, so keep that in mind.
- Green onions are a great garnish, but you could also use fresh parsley.
- Feel free to use whatever pastas you might have on hand, and don’t be afraid to mix and match.
- For an extra savory, salty component, add some bacon.
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
One 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 ½ 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.
This is delicious. I added a little bit of fresh jalapeno to the onions as I sauteed them. My family asks for this regularly now. Amazing and easy. Thank you!!!
Kristen, do you really only use one cup of dried pasta?
As stated in the recipe, it’s 8 oz of dry pasta, not one cup. While 8 oz. would be one cup in liquids measurements, this is actually the weight. Basically it’s half a box of dry pasta.
Made this for dinner tonight….WOW! Everyone in my family loved it! My very picky 5 year old (who decides to hate a new food each week–this week it’s been cheese) asked for seconds, I happily obliged 😉
I did thicken ours a bit at the end with some corn starch, so I might suggest editing the ingredients to add draining the tomatoes, if desired.
That being said: The whole family loved this amazing dish! My 5 and 2 year old kiddos gobbled it up, and my husband and I each had seconds! There was a small portion leftover in the pan, and as I was dishing it into some Tupperware, I told my husband “well, I feel bad because that’s just a tease of a taste for whoever gets this for lunch tomorrow!”
This is so delicious. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Hi there, just wanted to let you know that I found your recipe from Pinterest. I have made it 3 times now with different variations and it is yummy. I blogged about it this week at http://www.singinghoneybee.blogspot.com and made a link back to your sight for the original recipe that I found.
I don’t usually post reviews.. But I just have to say this was incredible! I was skeptical at first but was pleasantly surprised! I subbed fire roasted tomatoes with garlic and added a bit more cheese on top but it got rave reviews! Thanks for sharing!
Made this last night and it was great! We chopped up two tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes, and we added tons of spinach – it tasted great, and I almost think my leftovers taste even better today!
Delicious! This is one of my favourite dishes. The combination of cheese and smoked sausage works perfectly.
I just made this tonight and it was fantastic! My boyfriend doesn’t like any meat that is “pretending” to be a different meat , so he was skeptical of the turkey sausage. He is also not easily impressed by new recipes. So when he tried this and immediately said “mmm this is really good!”, I was really excited. We love it and will definitely make it again!
I just made this, but is it suppose to be a little soupy? Kids and Hubby said too much like soup. Next time, maybe less chicken broth.
Once you add the cheese at the end, it should thicken. However results can vary from kitchen to kitchen. 🙂
Just add some milk and flour to the mix when boiling and it’ll thick in’ right up!
Thanks for posting this. It was the first time I tried a one pot pasta dish and it was delicious!
My husband is obsessed with this dish! Thanks for sharing!
THIS WAS AMAZING!!! I NEVER post reviews about recipes, but my husband and I are currently eating this now and I couldn’t not tell you how incredible it is. I love it love it love it. I’m eating it as I type this. My husband won’t stop raving about it and he’s upset that there won’t be leftovers for his lunch tomorrow. Great recipe and thanks! I loved that it was one-pot!!!
Yum!! This was excellent. I added mushrooms and spinach, and instead of diced tomatoes I used a small jar of roasted garlic salsa. Thanks for the recipe!
I made this tonight and it was wonderful! I waited to add the cream until the pasta cooked. I was skeptical about the turkey kielbasa but it was great. Thank you for the recipe, my husband raved about it!
Hi, this recipe looks fabulous. I am reading from Australia and just wondered if the turkey sausage is a pre-cooked sausage. Thanks
Yes it is 🙂
Made this tonight…it was awesome…only we used more cheese.
I just made this tonight and it is delicious! I found the recipe via Pinterest. Thanks for the inspiration to try a new meal. I did add about 1/2 to 1 tsp. of basil.
I cooked the cheesy sausage pasta today for my jobs Christmas potluck and it was such a got. Thank You for the awesome recipe