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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.
Pin this recipe for later!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 the recipe card below for full, detailed 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
- Smoked Sausage and Rice
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
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
*Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Simple Recipes Cookbook. For a complete list of recipes on the site, be sure to go here.
Can i use mozzarella shredded cheese for a substitute?
Absolutely, that would be delicious!
This recipe has very mild flavors. To mild for my family. It was a very quick make..perfect for a week night meal
Thank you Tracy and thank you for your feedback.
Made this for my picky husband and he loved it. I am sure he will ask for it again.
That’s great Patty, thank you for sharing!
My husband now asks for this. I make it at least every two weeks.
hi kristine just made your one pot cheesy smoked & pasta skillet
have to say soooo good
I will make more of your one dish dinner thank you for your sight
So glad you enjoyed it!
Just wanted to say thank you for the recipe! It has the best ratio of great taste to easiness in cooking of any recipe I’ve tried and is a regular fixture in our house. We love it!
Thank you!
So happy that you and your family loved this recipe!
Thank you for stopping by!
Can I use fresh tomatoes and if so how many? I’m also planning to use mushrooms and a whole box of penne, do I need to increase chicken broth?
If you are doubling the amount of pasta, then yes you would need to increase the amount of liquid. However fresh tomatoes release a lot of liquid when cooked, but it’s different than the canned tomatoes. So really it’s kind of a different recipe.
We love this recipe. We use an 8oz can of tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes to accommodate a picky eater and about 1.5 cups chicken broth for a thicker sauce. We also add parsley, oregeno, and basil. Its even better the next day for lunch
I’ve been making this almost weekly for like 2 years now. My whole family loves it! We just started to try some of your other one pot dishes. Thanks for saving me Work in the kitchen with these one pot meals!
Is the chicken broth used to soften noodles?
It cooks the pasta.
This was a great recipe! I actually subbed parboiled brown rice for the pasta and used a vegetarian sausage. Thanks so much for posting – hubs and I give it all the thumbs up!
This is a favorite at my house. I like to add a little more kick to it by using a can of Ro-Tel in place of the diced tomatoes.
Made this last night. The recipe was simple and the cook time was great. It was so delicious that I’m having the leftovers for breakfast!!
OMG! THE. BOMB.COM! Just made this and it was DELISH! So easy. Making again.
This recipe is so easy and delicious. My whole family loves it! I made it lactose for my husband by substituting lactose free milk and leaving out the cheese and it was great. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Hi there. What would you do differently if you’re using cooked pasta? Thx
You’d have to make the sauce separately, but that would be a completely different recipe.
Just wanted to say Thanks. I have made this recipe several time now and the family loves it. I do reserve some of the juice from the diced tomatoes as sometimes it’s a little soupier than I like. It’s easy and delicious.
I made this today with Italian sweet sausage and it was amazing!!
Definetly one to add to the recipe book!!
Just tried this tonight, and it was a hit! Definitely going in the normal rotation! My 9 yo step daughter really enjoyed it – I nixed the tomatoes and onions as she doesn’t like them, but I did use onion powder instead. So yummy! Thank you for a quick, easy, and tasty dinner the whole family loves!
Thanks for letting us know that it turned out just fine without tomatoes my husband hates them.
Can I use sundried tomatoes instead of diced?
You could, but you’d have to increase the liquid. I haven’t tried this so I can’t say by how much. Let me know if you try it – sounds yummy!
Has anyone added broccoli to this ?
I haven’t, but I think it would be a great addition.I would maybe add it during that last several minutes unless you like it on the softer side.