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This Sausage Pasta Skillet is a hearty, one-pan meal packed with bold flavors and perfect for busy weeknights. Juicy sausage, tender pasta, and a rich, savory sauce come together in under 30 minutes for a comforting dinner the whole family will love.
Getting dinner on the table on busy weeknights can be a challenge. But I really don’t want to rely on take out, delivery or the drive through. So I am determined to have a few recipes in my arsenal that I can just pull out and get on the table fast! This sausage pasta is perfect for that!
I grew up on Old Fashioned Goulash as a kid, it was a staple in our house. It is one that I definitely still make today. But sometimes you have to mix it up, and I am a huge fan of sausage, so this pasta skillet is high up there in our rotation.
I am all about super quick skillet meals. Enchilada Pasta Skillet, Cheeseburger Macaroni Skillet, Mexican Rice Skillet, are a couple favorites. Everything is cooked in one pan (including the pasta), and it is ready in about 20 minutes.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Kielbasa – really any smoked sausage will work. You can use turkey, beef or pork sausage. If you want it spicy you could use Andouille sausage
- Onion
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
- Pasta – any short cut pasta will work great, but avoid anything long like spaghetti for this.
- Rotel Tomatoes
- Chicken Broth – you can use low sodium to cut down on the salt if necessary
- Milk
- Cheese – I use colby jack, but really anything you like will work. Cheddar is great, Pepper Jack is great for a little kick as wel.
Sausage Pasta Skillet uses just a few ingredients, most of which you can keep on hand at all times. I used kielbasa for the sausage. Kielbasa lasts for a really long time in the fridge if you don’t open it. So stock up when it is on sale, and you will always be ready to make this.
How to Make Sausage Pasta
- Brown Meat. Start by slicing your sausage into little coins. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the sausage and onions and cook until the onions are soft and the sausage is browned. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute.
- Add Everything Else. Add everything but the cheese to the pan; pasta, tomatoes, chicken broth and milk. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the pasta is tender.
- Add Cheese. Top with the cheese and stir until it is completely melted.
- Serve. Remove the pan from the heat and it is ready to serve. You can top with green onions or parsley for a little freshness if desired.
Want more Easy Dinners?
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta – easy pasta dinner with tomatoes, chicken, mushrooms and more!
- Sausage & Rice Skillet – one pan meal with kielbasa and rice that is so good
- One Pan Pizza Chicken – all the flavor of pizza with chicken!
- Chicken Lo Mein – skip take out and make this family favorite at home
- Italian Stuffed Chicken – just 5 ingredients and so simple!
Sausage Pasta Skillet
Video
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Kielbasa, sliced into coins
- 1 cup onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups short cut pasta
- 10 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 1/2 cups skim milk
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cup colby/jack cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are soft, and sausage is starting to brown. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 pound Kielbasa, 1 cup onion, 2 cloves garlic
- Stir in pasta, tomatoes, milk, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and cook for 8-10 minutes until pasta is tender.3 cups short cut pasta, 10 oz diced tomatoes with green chiles, 1 1/2 cups skim milk, 3/4 cup chicken broth
- Stir in cheese.1 1/2 cup colby/jack cheese
- Let stand for 5 minutes for sauce to thicken before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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After adding milk don’t cover. Covered milk will curdle.
Yes and also once it is up to a boil then turn it down to a low simmer for the 8-10 minutes (not a boil for 8-10 mins).
Everyone needs a quick and easy dinner idea for crazy nights. Such a life saver when you really don’t feel like cooking. Looks amazing!
This is exactly the kind of dinners my kids love! I can feel good about serving this!
Yes, please! This looks so perfect for dinner tonight! I am sure my family will love it!
So easy and tasty and perfect for a quick weeknight meal!
This sausage pasta meal is perfect for a busy night! Love simple skillet recipes
I used to make this recipe a lot a few years ago, and it’s very good. Now that I have little kids, I only have whole milk at the house. Is there is specific reason you need to use skim milk, or will any type work?
Any milk will work. I use skim because that is what we drink, and it cuts down some on the calories. But that is the only reason, so if you have other milk it should be just fine.
My family loves this dish, and I make it very regularly. I too have had problems with the milk curdling. I have no idea why, it doesn’t really make sense to me. What I have found that works for me to prevent that is I change the ratio to 2 c. chicken broth and 1/2 c. milk and then cook it uncovered for about 20 min. The pasta still gets done and I haven’t had any problems with the curdling. Maybe this will be a useful tip for someone who is also having that problem because the recipe is definitely worth making again and again.
What if I don’t have canned tomatoes?
Can I just add small cuts of red bell pepper?
You can add bell pepper, you may need a little more liquid because there is some in the can of tomatoes. I will definitely work, I am just not sure what flavor it would have without the tomatoes, it may be a little bland. But you can taste and adjust as you go.