Spicy Sausage Pasta

I have been cooking some of the same recipes for ~20 years.  Sure, they are tried and true family favorites, but I am constantly looking for something new that meets all the criteria of a good weeknight meal.

1. It has to be quick – 30 minutes is the goal.  I’ll go up to 40 if it’s worth it.
2. It has to have broad appeal.  I like to get the nod from at least 4 of the 5 critics.
3. It has to have easily obtained ingredients.

That’s it.  It seems like it wouldn’t be that hard, but it is.  

So, when I found the recipe for Spicy Sausage Pasta, I was thrilled!  This recipe couldn’t be simpler – you cook everything in one pot.  It’s also quick, prep and cooking takes about 30 minutes. This is my Christmas gift to you – a quick weeknight meal so that you can get other things done in your evening.

This recipe is all over the internet, but I first saw it on Kevin & Amanda.  I’ve made some modifications to my recipe.  For one thing, the original recipe uses only 8 oz of pasta–I try to never cook less then a full box of pasts.  I mean, what do you do with the other half?  Besides, I need a full 16 oz to feed my crew. 

In order to accommodate more pasta, I needed more liquid.  I also don’t brown the cheese on top (don’t need to).

This dish gets extra points for the versatilty.  I love the fact that you can turn the heat up or down in this and you’ll still have a quick, tasty dish.  In fact, it adds to the variety because of the ability to swap out ingredients.

I’ve only made it as the spicy version, but you could definitely use regular kielbasa or sweet Italian sausage for the sausage.  You could swap the Rotel for plain tomatoes.  You could use cheddar instead of Monterrey Jack.  We’ve used all sorts of shapes for the pasta – it’s pictured with cavitelli, but I’ve used campanelle, and the original recipe called for penne  – all sorts of combinations are possible, and they’d all be good.  This recipe just has “good bones”.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

A one-pot dish that is ready in 30 minutes.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Servings 6

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb smoked sausage I use Hillshire Farms Hot Smoked Sausage
• 1.5 cups diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 can 14 oz low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 10 oz can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
• 10 oz half and half I use the Ro-tel can
• 16 oz penne pasta
• ½ teaspoon salt and pepper each
• 1 cup Monterrey Jack cheese shredded
• ⅓ cup thinly sliced scallions optional

Instructions

 

• Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add broth, tomatoes, half and half, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. You may want to add a little water or other liquid to so that you can see it level with the pasta.
• Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low.
• I set the timer for 3 minutes and check, with the half and half this can start to scorch quickly, so turn it down if it still is bubbling.
• Set the timer for 5 minutes two more times - check and stir the pasta each time. It should be done in about 15 minutes.
• Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese. Top with with scallions (optional).

Notes

Adapted from The Best Simple Recipes