Description
This Creamy Smoked Sausage Pasta combines smoky, crispy sausage with a luxurious, velvety cream sauce for a quick 30-minute comfort dish. Perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb smoked sausage (kielbasa or similar), sliced into coins
- 12 oz penne pasta (or rigatoni, rotini, or fettuccine)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium preferred)
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (low-moisture, part-skim)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)
- 1 pinch salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add penne and cook until al dente, about 9–11 minutes. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining, then set pasta aside.
- In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sliced smoked sausage and cook 5–7 minutes until browned and slightly crispy. Remove sausage and set aside, leaving drippings in the pan.
- Add diced onion to the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
- Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring well to deglaze the pan. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in shredded mozzarella, Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper. Continue stirring until smooth and creamy.
- Add the cooked pasta and seared sausage back to the pan. Toss to coat evenly in the sauce. Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if needed to thin the sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 620
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 1200 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 26 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg