One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta
on Jul 13, 2019, Updated May 06, 2024
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One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta is a decadent and rich one-pot meal, full of melty cheese and bites of summer sausage, and perfect for an easy meal at home when you don’t want a lot of cleanup!
If you’re not on the one pot meal train yet, hop right on, friend! One pot meals are glorious life savers because they require little prep, are easy to cook, and take hardly any cleanup. Since my time is limited between raising 5 little ones and running my blog, convenience is practically my middle name. And I know I’m not the only one out there who’s busy and just needs a simple, wholesome meal most nights of the week! Can I get an amen?
The thing that I just love about this pasta dish is it’s so rich and hearty, and you can customize it as much as you’d like. If you’re not a fan of cooked spinach, use peas or chopped zucchini instead! Throw in any cheese that melts well if cheddar’s not your style, and you can use whatever cut of pasta or any type of sausage that you love. It’s truly a one pot wonder that you can make your own, and that’s something to celebrate! (And if this recipe doesn’t speak to you, here’s a whole bunch of one pot meals for you to choose from.)
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Budget-Friendly: Pasta dishes are usually budget-friendly, and this recipe is no exception. With simple ingredients and a super easy cooking method, it’s not even that much harder than throwing in that frozen pizza but it will be easier on your wallet!
- Versatile: Change up the kind of sausage, use a different kind of cheese, add the veggies you need to use up or love the most, and whatever package of pasta you have on hand. You really can customize this recipe to suit what you have and like.
- Comfort Food: There’s just something comforting about a cheesy pasta dish! This is a great one to serve on one of those nights when you just want to eat something cozy and delicious.
Ingredients
- Smoked Summer Sausage: or substitute your favorite sausage, ground beef, chicken or whatever else you like or have on hand
- Onion
- Minced Garlic
- Chicken Broth
- A Can of Diced Tomatoes
- Dry Pasta
- Salt & Pepper
- Shredded Cheese: something like cheddar or cheddar-jack is great, but use whatever good melting cheese you like here
- Red Pepper Flakes: totally optional but they give it just a touch of heat which is so yummy
- Fresh Baby Spinach
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities
Popular Substitutions or Variations
- SO MANY! You can change out the kind of meat, shape of pasta, kind of cheese, switch the veggies or add some more. Get creative or just clean out the fridge!
How to Make One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta
Step #1. In a large skillet with a lid, sauté the sausage until browned then set aside. Add the onion and olive oil to the same skillet and cook for a few minutes then add the garlic. Add the broth and scrape the bottom.
Step #3. Remove the lid and stir in the cheese, red pepper flakes, and spinach until the cheese is melted.
Step #2. To the broth, add the tomatoes, pasta, water, salt, & pepper. Stir to combine then cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes or until the pasta is done.
Step #4. Return the sausage to the pan and stir it in. Serve!
Normally, I wouldn’t advise cooking pasta in a skillet unless it’s a one pot meal like this. It’s more shallow and fits less pasta, and it’s hard to drain from a skillet, which is why most people prefer to use a pot instead. But since you’re not draining the pasta in this recipe, skillet cook away!
Doing a one pot pasta is the only way I know of that you can cook pasta without draining water. The water and other liquid cook the pasta and then cook down into a nice, thick sauce, so draining it isn’t necessary here.
You can! That would be incredible in this recipe. I love, love, love fresh herbs, and basil or any other green herbs would go great in this. Add them the same time you’d add the spinach.
If you have leftovers, let them cool and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. This is a great dish to make two batches of and keep one in the freezer (for up to 2 months) to have a full meal ready to go later on.
Expert Tips
- You will want to taste this recipe and adjust the salt & pepper to taste, especially if you change up the ingredients quite a bit. The salt level in the different meats and cheeses will vary!
- Make sure the pasta is truly simmering while it cooks. If the heat is too high, the liquid will evaporate too quickly and the pasta will stick to the pan. Keep the heat low and the lid on!
More One Pot Recipes to Consider
Soups, Stews, & Chowders
Chicken Wild Rice Soup
Soups, Stews, & Chowders
Tomato Basil Soup
Recipes by Cook Time
Vegetable Soup
Soups, Stews, & Chowders
Wendy’s Chili Recipe
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked summer sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can diced tomatoes, with juice (14.5 ounce)
- 1/2 cup water
- 8 ounces dry pasta
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups shredded cheese, like cheddar or cheddar-jack
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 cup or a handful fresh baby spinach, chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet (one with a lid) over medium to medium-high heat, and add the smoked sausage. Saute until browned well — if you need a little oil because it starts to stick, add a drizzle. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and onion. Saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the broth, and scrape the pan to loosen any browned bits.
- Add the diced tomatoes, water, dry pasta, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine well.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, add the lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the shredded cheese, red pepper flakes if using, and the spinach. Stir to combine until the cheese is melted.
- Return the sausage to the pan and stir to combine.
- Serve right away!
Notes
- You have so much flexibility with this dish. Don’t love cooked spinach? Toss in peas! You can also add different kinds of cheese or use different shaped pasta.
- This is a great recipe to double and freeze half for a busy day!
- Remember to keep the lid on and the heat low so that the pasta can cook properly.
- Make sure to taste it as it finishes cooking and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Easy to make! We had summer sausage and cheese cubes left over from our party and was able to make a meal with them. Can customize it!
Pretty good. Might be a bit too cheesy if you can believe that! I also used diced tomatoes with green chilies for a little kick.
What size can for the diced tomatoes?
It’ll be the 14-15 ounce can!