This Cheesy Sausage Pasta is the dish that made me fall in love with one-pot pastas all those years ago. It’s fast, easy, SUPER flavorful, and because everything cooks in one pot, there’s barely anything to clean up after dinner. WIN. The flavorful combination of smoky sausage, spicy diced tomatoes with green chiles, and creamy Monterey Jack is simple but irresistible, and it cooks in about 30 minutes. That’s a winner in my book!
What’s in Cheesy Sausage Pasta?
This recipe was inspired by an absolutely mouth-watering photo I saw on Pinterest, which was this Spicy Sausage Pasta from KevinandAmanda.com. But, of course, I made some changes to fit the ingredients I had on hand. I nixed the heavy cream in the original recipe because I figured that between the cheese and sausage, there’d be plenty of fatty goodness going on. My version ended up being rich, but not so much so that you’ll feel super weighed down. I also added fresh spinach because I have a HUGE bag in my fridge just waiting to be used up. Plus, I felt that the recipe needed a little green.
What Else Can I Add?
Some other vegetable options for this recipe are bell peppers or broccoli, both of which go great with smoked sausage. If you want to add bell peppers, dice them up and saute them with the onions in the beginning. If you want to add broccoli, cut it into very small florets and add it with the pasta so that the broccoli can simmer a little bit and soften. There are so many different ways you can take this recipe… I’m excited to hear what you come up with!
What Type of Pasta to Use
This recipe works great with any short pasta shape (bowties, penne, rotini, etc.). I originally used campanelle (my favorite frilly flower shaped pasta), but I couldn’t find any this time around so I decided to go with wide egg noodles. One note: If you are using regular pasta (not egg noodles, which are a little more delicate), you may need slightly more broth.
Can I Use a Different Cheese?
I particularly love Monterey Jack cheese for this recipe because it melts into a super creamy texture that kind of mixes into the sauce for a super creamy finish…without adding any cream. Other cheeses will also taste great, but they probably won’t have the same creamy finish. You can try cheddar, mozzarella (aim for whole milk mozzarella instead of part-skim), or even a sprinkle of crumbled feta. And remember, pre-shredded cheese won’t melt nearly as well as cheese you shred yourself! ;)
Cheesy Sausage Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.38)
- 7 oz. smoked sausage ($1.75)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1 10oz. can diced tomatoes with green chiles (Rotel) ($1.00)
- 8 oz. wide egg noodles* ($1.40)
- 1.5 cups chicken broth ($0.20)
- 3 cups fresh spinach ($0.85)
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack ($1.25)
- 1 green onion, sliced ($0.20)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and slice the sausage into rounds.
- Add the cooking oil and sausage to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until the sausage is well browned. If there is excess fat in the skillet, drain it off before moving to the next step.
- Add the onions to the skillet with the sausage and continue to sauté until the onions have softened. Allow the moisture from the onions to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the diced tomatoes with green chiles (with juices), uncooked pasta, and chicken broth. Stir until everything is evenly combined. It's okay if the broth does not fully cover the pasta.
- Place a lid on the skillet and allow the broth to come up to a boil. When it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low and let the pasta simmer for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Stir the pasta occasionally, replacing the lid each time.
- Once the pasta is cooked and only a small amount of saucy liquid remains, it's time to add the spinach to the skillet. Gently stir the fresh spinach into the pasta, allowing the residual heat to wilt the spinach.
- Once the spinach has wilted, top the pasta with Monterey Jack cheese. Place the lid back on the skillet and let the pasta heat over low until the cheese is melted and creamy.
- Sprinkle the sliced green onions over top just before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Cheesy Sausage Pasta – Step By Step Photos
Dice one yellow onion and slice about 7oz. smoked sausage (half of a 14oz. link—you can freeze the rest!) into medallions.
Add the sausage and 1 Tbsp cooking oil to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until the sausage is well browned. If there’s a lot of excess fat in the skillet, drain it off before proceeding to the next step.
Add the onions to the skillet with the sausage and continue to sauté until the onions have softened. Allow the moisture from the onions to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.
Add one 10oz. can of diced tomatoes with green chiles (like Rotel), 8 oz. pasta, and 1.5 cups chicken broth. If you’re using regular pasta (not egg noodles), increase to 2 cups broth.
Stir everything together until well combined. Place a lid on the skillet and allow the broth to come up to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let the pasta simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (replacing the lid each time). Make sure the broth maintains a simmer.
While the pasta is cooking, shred about 1 cup of Monterey Jack cheese and slice one green onion. When the pasta is tender and only a small amount of saucy liquid remains in the skillet, it’s time to add the spinach.
Add about three packed cups of fresh spinach to the skillet and carefully stir until the hot pasta wilts the spinach.
Add one cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese on top of the pasta. Place the lid on the skillet and let it heat over low for a few minutes, or just until the cheese is melted and creamy.
Top the finished pasta with the sliced green onions and serve hot!
Soooo cheeessyyyy. 🤤
Wow! Super easy to make! While making this last night, unexpected company popped in. Not only was the dish a hit but it was more than enough for everyone. Thanks!
I have made this twice, and both times the family have LOVED it and begged me to make it again. Fussy teen girl loves the “fresh” taste, and cream loving hubby loves the creaminess (I’ll never tell him there’s no cream ;) ).
Absolutely as easy as can be for all the praise I received! Thanks!!!
Just to follow up, this has become a family stand-by and a firm favourite in the past 4 months. Sometimes substitute/add pickled peppers, pepperoni and whatever is on hand, but always follow the easy method. Love it on every level!
This is one of my favorite recipes to make for my family. It is so easy and tastes great. Thanks for sharing.
This was an easy, colorful and tasty dinner. I used Italian sausage, and Barilla Plus pasta. Thank you
Tried this for dinner tonight and it was amazing and only $10 for everything thanks for this awesome idea
I just made this for lunch (a GF version) and holy moley this is sooo good! The substitutes I used were coconut oil, quinoa pasta, 1/2 broth 1/2 water and a low fat mozzarella cheese. So delicious and easy to make!
Cooking this as I type. It’s so incredibly yummy,and easy to cook. Thank you for sharing! :)
As a 24y/o who is just learning how to cook foods other than ramen noodles I was so excited to try this. I used green bell peppers in substitution of the spinach, and oh my goodness, this did not disappoint! My entire house smelled amazing. Everyone kept saying how excellent the dish was.
Thank you so much for sharing, this recipe will definitely be a staple in my house!!
What kind of noodles are these?
It’s regular pasta, but I don’t remember the name of the shape… only that it translates to “flower”. :) They’re pretty, aren’t they?
Those look like egg-noodles.m
“I like to use meat sparingly and balance it out with other ingredients, like past and vegetables.”
An unintentionally poetic typo… so deep… :)
P.S. I cook this regularly. Love it! Thanks for the recipe and the site. I refer people here often.
Doh! Thanks for the heads up! ;)
Feel free to delete my comment now that you’ve fixed it. No offense taken. The editing nerd inside me just couldn’t resist. :)
Thanks for filling our bellies and wallets so well!
This was absurdly good. Generally when I make something and have it for lunches all week, I get sick of it no matter how good it is, even with the spinach not holding up well after reheating.
It was very easy, few ingredients, and I expect to make it again soon.
I made this tonight with what was on hand… Italian sausage and cheddar cheese. so i guess i am rating the technique more than the recipe. But this was an easy 5 stars.
I could not love this recipe more, my 2 and 4 year old girls ate seconds of spinach!
Our 8-year old ate spinach and didn’t even realize it! Thank you! I was out of green onions, so I substituted fresh cilantro instead and it was very tasty. Definitely making this recipe again.
I made this tonight for dinner, and it was a hit! I usually change up a recipe depending what I have on hand or to suit our preferences, but this recipe I actually followed exactly as you listed it. My family loved it, and they even went for seconds.
I love that it is a one-skillet meal and that the cheese was added last. I have a daughter who doesn’t like cheese so any recipe that let’s me easily make a no-cheese adaptation for her is a winner in my book. I will definitely be making this again!
Thank you for sharing!
Hey! Just wondering- do you think frozen spinach leaves will do well in thisbrevipe instead of fresh ones? What about canned spinach? Thanks!
The only issue with frozen spinach is that it can sometimes be broken into teeny tiny bits, which won’t look too nice (but the flavor should be fine!). I’ll be honest that I’ve never used canned spinach, so I’m not sure! :)
The only thing I would think is that it may make it to watery. I’d strain it really well with a cheesecloth