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!
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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. 🤤
Could you substitute feta for the Monterey Jack?
You could, but it wouldn’t be quite as creamy and probably much saltier. The way that Monterrey melts is what makes it so deliciously creamy. :)
I happened upon this website today. I was inspired to make this dish. WE LOVE IT!! I especially like how pretty it turned out. I enjoyed taking a pic and tooting my own horn on fb! I will definitely make this again and I’ll be trying other recipes as well.
I have made this dish at least once to twice a month in the past year. Each time, I am reminded how ridiculously good it is. It is a good way to use up vegetables, too, so mine often turns into a pasta primavera/sausage dish. Thanks!
I made this tonight, following the recipe completely as directed with no substitutions or alterations. I have to say this was so good. I loved how creamy the shredded monterrey jack cheese made it and how the chilies in the tomatoes gave it just a little kick without overpowering it with too much spice. My seven year old son even loved it and he can be a little picky. This is a keeper and I will definitely be making it again!
Just finished making this and it’s absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe almost to T, only thing I didn’t do was add green onion because I didn’t have any on hand, but it tastes great even without it. Adding this to my weekly meal lineup! Thanks so much for sharing!
Just got done eating this! It was very delicious and easy! My boyfriend loved it and will be making it for his coworkers at the firehouse next time he cooks! Thanks for sharing!
I am SO inspired! Cooking has been a chore for me for a long time. I am determined to find simple, basic cooking methods and recipes. Thank you for showing how fun and easy cooking can be, even on a budget!
I LOVE this recipe. It’s so easy to make and it’s really delicious. Plus, it’s really versatile and works with whatever you have in the kitchen.
Thanks for posting!
AWESOME! I cooked this tonight, and it was spectacular. I doubled the recipe (I had a sneaking suspicion that it would be good), and added in mushrooms.
My husband and I was talking, and next time I think we’ll try prosciutto & chicken in it.
Amazing even my kids liked it very yummy
Just made this. Very successful. All i had to add was 2 spices, creole seasoning, and italian seasoning. It was also inexpensive as promised! PEOPLE IF YOU ARE READING THIS, GIVE IT A TRY! You did a wonderful Job girl!
Just read that someone named coma commented and the dish and made it with the turkey kielbasa so I’m sure it will be fine…
So excited to make this recipe tonight and just headedout to the store and couldn’t find any all beef smoked sausage, so They sold me smoked turkey kielbasa, do u think the flavor of this meat will suit the dish?
Thanks for the awesome recipe; it was quite easy to make a double batch in a larger pot! Since I’m on an even tighter budget/abroad where there is no such thing as smoked sausage, I just used cheap hot dogs, but you could barely even tell. And since cheese is likewise crazy here, I used a package of cream cheese. Let me tell you: amazing.
I think I’ll try this using rice instead of noodles (had pasta last night). Has anyone tried that with this recipe?