Stop everything and listen closely. I’ve been making new recipes every week for over seven years and can honestly say this One Pot Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta is one of the best things I’ve ever made. I fully intend to make a second batch tomorrow, or whatever day my leftovers run out. Hopefully that’s not before tomorrow, but I’m not making any promises.
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Why I Love this One Pot Pasta
Why is this pasta so great? Well, I was able to use a bunch of things that I already have in my pantry, freezer, and fridge. In fact, the only thing I bought for this was the sausage, and that’s something I often DO have in my freezer (because I usually use half pound at a time). In other words, this is a GREAT last-minute “pantry” dinner.
Second, because it’s “one pot” style, there’s barely any clean up and a LOT of flavor. Not one drop of goodness is lost because everything cooks together. And lastly, it’s a very well rounded meal. Vegetables, pasta, meat, it’s all there! #win
Tips for One Pot Pasta Success
Some people find this “one pot” style of cooking pasta a little tricky, so let me give you a few pointers.
- You need to use a thick bottomed pot or skillet so that it heats evenly.
- The amount of water or broth you will need will vary with the size and shape of pasta that you use. As you near the end of the cooking time, take note of the amount of liquid in the bottom of the skillet. If there is still a lot of liquid, let it simmer for the last 2-3 minutes without the lid to allow for evaporation (don’t drain it). If the liquid all gets absorbed before the pasta is tender, simply add a little water.
- Make sure the heat under the skillet is set to the lowest temperature that maintains a steady simmer in the broth. If it stops simmering it will not cook the pasta. If it boils or simmers too hard the whole time it can dry up and the bottom can scorch. Feel it out. It gets easier every time, just like riding a bike.
You ready for this?
This shape of pasta is called campanelle. So pretty, right??
One Pot Sausage and Sun Dried Tomato Pasta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 8 oz sweet Italian sausage ($2.00)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.13)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1/2 lb frozen broccoli florets ($0.85)
- 2 cups chicken broth* ($0.28)
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes ($1.00)
- 8 oz pasta (any small shape**) ($0.80)
- Pinch of red pepper (optional) ($0.02)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan ($0.41)
Instructions
- Add the olive oil and sausage to the skillet and cook over medium heat until browned. If using links, cook them until browned on the outside and firm enough to slice, then slice into medallions, return to the skillet, and brown on both sides. Transfer the cooked sausage to a clean bowl and drain off all but about 1 Tbsp fat from the skillet.
- Add the minced garlic and frozen broccoli florets to the skillet. Sauté over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or just until the broccoli is bright green and no longer frozen. Transfer the broccoli florets to the bowl with the sausage.
- Add the chicken broth to the skillet and stir or whisk to dissolve the browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. Slice the sun dried tomatoes into strips and add them to the broth with the pasta and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir, place a lid on top, and turn the heat up to medium high. When the broth begins to boil, give the skillet a quick stir, replace the lid, and turn the heat down to low or just above low so that the broth maintains a simmer.
- Simmer the pasta and sun dried tomatoes for about 7 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes, or until the pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. If the pasta becomes tender before all the broth has been absorbed, simply let it simmer for the last couple of minutes without the lid.
- Once the pasta is tender and only a small amount of thickened liquid remains in the bottom of the skillet, add the cooked sausage and broccoli back to the pasta. Stir to combine and sprinkle the grated Parmesan over top. Serve immediately.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Sausage One Pot Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Begin by browning 1/2 lb. sweet Italian sausage in a skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil, over medium heat. You can use ground sausage or links. If using links, brown them whole until they are firm enough to slice, then slice into medallions, return them to the skillet, and brown them on both sides. Once the sausage is browned and cooked through, transfer it to a clean bowl and drain off all but about 1 Tbsp of the fat from the skillet.
Add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/2 lb. frozen broccoli florets to the skillet. Continue to sauté over medium until the broccoli is bright green and no longer frozen (3-5 minutes, do not over cook). Transfer the broccoli to the bowl with the sausage.
Next, add 2 cups chicken broth to the skillet and stir or whisk it to dissolve the browned bits off the bottom. Add 8oz. dry pasta (any small-ish shape), about 1/3 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes, and a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional). Stir everything together, place a lid on the skillet, and turn the heat up to medium-high. Allow the broth to come up to a boil, then give it a quick stir, replace the lid, and turn the heat down to low or just above low (the lowest temperature needed to maintain a simmer).
Stir the pasta every couple of minutes, replacing the lid quickly each time to maintain the simmer, until the pasta is tender (about 7 minutes). If there is still too much liquid when the pasta is tender, let it simmer for a minute or two without the lid.
There should be SOME thickened liquid in the bottom of the skillet. This is concentrated flavor that will coat the sausage and broccoli once they’re added back in.
Finally, stir the cooked sausage and broccoli back into the simmered pasta. You can either sprinkle the Parmesan over the pasta in the skillet and stir it all together, or sprinkle a tablespoon or so over each bowl.
And that’s all it takes to make some of the most amazing pasta you’ve ever had in your life.
Seriously. 🤤
This was the best pasta I’ve ever made and it was so easy! My husband agrees that it was amazing. Thanks for the great recipe
The fact that I’ve somehow never actually written a review of this is near on criminal. This pasta is legitimately one of the BEST, easiest, cheapest, most fulfilling dishes I’ve made. I’ve had several taste testers request this dish on repeat because it is just that good. I’ve tried chicken sausage but the real stuff just gives it that extra oomph. I’ve taken out the sundried tomatoes when they’re not on hand or not in the budget and it’s still good but the original recipe is the best. 100000/10 will make on repeat for the rest of my days. Ingenious!
Is fresh broccoli ok? Or should I cook it a bit first before adding it?
That would be fine! I would saute or steam before since frozen broccoli is par-cooked.
As it is close to -40 here today, I didn’t feel like going grocery shopping so I looked in my Freezer to see what I had and went on BudgetBytes to see what recipes matched my ingredients. This recipe matched, excepted I didn’t have any parmesan cheese. It ended up delicious. Will defiantly make again.
I will be making this tomorrow night for dinner. Thanks for sharing!
I made this in an abbreviated way: asparagus instead of broc cuz that’s what I had and a wee bit if garlic powder instead of minced (ran out). Didn’t have sweet sausage and used kielbasa instead. My man and I enjoyed this very much. Thank you. I would use a stiffer pasta next time; used egg noodles cuz that’s what I had. Would do it again.
I vegetabled the heck outta this thing! I wanted to stretch it to have more leftovers, so I sautéed sliced onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and kale in some of the sausage grease, and removed them before proceeding with the broccoli and garlic step. So delicious! I didn’t even have to change anything else, including amount of chicken broth, since I’d added all the vegetables back at the end. Really yummy dinner, especially with some fresh lemon juice squeezed on top.
I cook nightly and this was the best recipe Ive made in forever. It was easy to follow the directions and it turned out exactly as described. Extremely flavorful and a really large serving. My husband absolutely raved about it. This is going on repeat.
This is one of my favourite recipes and it’s been in my regular rotation for years. I recently discovered I’m allergic to tomatoes so I decided to give this one a try without the tomatoes to see how it would taste. It tastes amazing even without the tomatoes, probably because everything else in the recipe has so much flavour. The only other change I make it using feta in place of parmesan, which likely helps up the flavour as well. If you’re allergic tomatoes, don’t pass this recipe up.
Has anyone frozen the leftovers and reheated? I’d love yo know the full method since this makes so much.
So easy and so good!!
I have made this many times since I found your recipe. Last time, I had no broccol, but had a bag of mini sweet peppers. I roasted half of the bag while the pasta was cooking and tossed them in at the end. So good!
This looks wonderful and we’re excited to try it! Is there any way this could be done with fresh pasta? If so, would you just use less broth or reduce the simmer time?
Hmm, I’m going to say that fresh pasta probably isn’t the best for this recipe because it cooks so quickly so you’re much more likely to accidentally over cook it. If you reduce the broth to accommodate the fresh pasta, you’ll also be reducing the amount of flavor in the dish.
We’ve made this several times now and it is so quick and delicious!! Question… I doubled the recipe this time for leftovers. Any suggestions on how to reheat and make it a little saucy again?
Hmm, I’m not sure there’s a way to make it saucy again once the noodles absorb it. Instead, I’d probably just add a little butter, let it melt, and toss to coat. :)
Do you know how this might need to change to account for using whole wheat pasta?
It will probably need to simmer a bit longer and you may need a little bit more liquid, but it’s hard to offer specifics without actually testing it. :)
Really easy and very quickly a family favourite. I’ve updated to 500g of chorizo, broccoli and pasta 1 cup tomatoes and a jot over 1 L stock. Brilliant and easy.
Any tips to convert this into an InstantPot recipe?
Unfortunately, I’m not very experienced with Instant Pots and haven’t tried one of these one pot recipes in them, so I couldn’t offer any advice. :(
I gotta say, I’ve made this as is several times and it’s always soo good and soo easy! Tho I prefer it with pre-cooked chicken Italian sausage, I’ve made it both ways. But this last time I was feeling adventurous…
Used quite a bit more veggies than it called for- had a 12oz frozen bag of broccoli/cauliflower/carrots and a small head of fresh broccoli I needed to use up.. so threw all those together with both garlic powder and garlic chopped up to sauté. Then decided to throw in a little Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the veggies just for fun. Set those aside with the cooked sausage.
Last year I grew a bunch of tomato’s and since I don’t like them fresh, I dehydrated them and froze them so I got to use this lovely blend of colored dehydrated tomatoes cut up in strips. Added in some dried parsley, this garlic/red pepper combo spice mixture I have, red pepper flakes and pepper- might have shaken a little more Italian seasoning in there too. Let the noodles cook. Added everything together with the parm when it was done.
Came out so good! And so flavorful! I think some spinach would have been good to throw in there too if you had any laying around. My homegrown tomato’s made it extra pretty too cause they were the traditional red but also yellow and kind of orangey/pink!
So this one is GREAT as is without any tweaks but it’s also great and easy to make subtle changes to if you feel like playing around with it! :)
This is so good! Going into my staple of recipes
If you haven’t tried this yet, please do!!! It’s easy to make with not too many ingredients (only expensive ingredient is the sun dried tomatoes) and is DELICIOUS!
I would absolutely make this again. My only change was fresh broccoli because I had it. The ingredients are items I always have on hand.
It came together so quickly too. Thanks for a delicious and quick recipe that looks like I spent hours on.
I made this tonight for the fifty millionth time. My picky kids love it and I visit this page for this recipe so much that I decided to finally comment! I have started subbing half chickpea pasta in the same shape as whatever pasta I’m using that night and it still turns out wonderfully. I probably have to add more broth because of that but I can eyeball it at this point because that’s how often I make this :)
What brand sausage did you use?
I don’t recall, but I usually buy either Johnsonville or the store brand of whatever store I happen to be shopping that day. :)
Another delicious dish! It’s hard to cook for my son-in-law, but this dish has everything he loves! Thank you !
Delicious! To make it vegetarian I subbed in some vegan Italian sausage and the no chicken broth from Better than Bouillon and it worked great!
Another great recipe and super affordable! I added extra broccoli and cheese to stretch it even further. Thank you for this post!
Great additions Ellen!
Our pasta was way under done and the sun dried tomatoes mostly stuck to the bottom of the pan. I think the amount of broth needs to cover the pasta to cook it evenly, so I’d recommend adjusting accordingly. The liquid will cook off… I typically LOVE Budget Byte recipes and have no trouble with my husband getting things started when I’m stuck at the office, but this was just meh.
Did you by chance cook your pasta with the lid off? You need to cover it so the water doesn’t evaporate and the top can get some steam.
I was so excited to come across this site and couldn’t wait to try this! Though the shopping cart ended up costing a little more than what was listed, I’m guessing its due to region and cost of living (I live in the the SF Bay Area which happens to be quite pricey). The recipe acted as a great base to build on. I added more salt, pepper, fennel seeds and fresh sage from my yard and it came out pretty tasty. This will be added to my recipe fie for a nice, quick and easy family meal.
I make this at least once a month for my picky family and everyone loves it. My suggestion is to make sure you cook the frozen broccoli all the way before finishing recipe as it can be a little crunchy if you only do until it no longer looks frozen. Taste a piece before you move on.
i’ve made this recipe at least 10 times now. We love it! Sausage is the best part and we’ve gotten comfortable with getting creative and nearly completely straying recipe course. But I always come back to make sure I haven’t forgotten anything.
I’ve recently done red pepper and sweet onion that I throw in before the broccoli and garlic. YUM.
This time I found some fuesili pasta from Trader Joe’s. I think it was quinoa and brown rice? Weird but shockingly good because this recipe is SOLID Beth. Nice job!!!
SO GOOD!!!! Thank you thank you thank you
This turned out phenomenal! I followed the recipe 100%, just doubled it. We make enough for leftovers and then eat the same thing for lunch all week, to cut down on cooking and save money in the food dept. hot and fresh it is delicious! I’m concerned it may turn out a little dry after being chilled and reheated, but hopefully not. This is one I’ll be printing out and keeping in my collection!
This was just okay for me. I think I would have preferred shrimp over sausage as the strong flavors of the sausage and tomato made a pungent flavor. The flavor was good it was just so strong and specific that it became too much. I also would have liked an actual sauce with it, maybe next time I’ll add in some tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. This time around I just added a ton more shredded parmesan to make it a very cheesy pasta.
Hopefully this doesn’t take me too far into “that guy who changed half the recipe and left a review anyway”. I totally misremembered, and actually had jarred red pepper instead of sundried tomatoes to use up. By the time I realized, I was already cooking the sausage, so I went ahead and used them, adding a big squirt of tomato paste to try to add a little sweetness. It’s hard to say how much the peppers added – they kind of dissolved when the pasta was cooking – but it was still delicious! I also added a little red wine vinegar for additional acidity.
Ha! I actually like it when people comment with the modifications that they make! :D I think it helps people learn how to be flexible with what they have in their kitchen. What’s not cool is when the recipe then doesn’t turn out and they rate my recipe low because of it. Hahah!
One of my favorite recipes, I make this at least once a week! I would recommend that if you choose to use macaroni as your pasta to add 25% more liquid than the recipe calls for :)
I was sceptical about cooking the pasta this way (without a huge pot of water) but followed the recipe perfectly and it turned out great. Added bell pepper with the broccoli (should have sautéed this 2 minutes before adding broccoli cause it was a bit hard), Italian seasonings and smoked paprika. Thank you! Will definitely make again
Another “make again” recipe! I love how simple it is and that it doesn’t require a ton of steps or a lot of hands-on work. I was able to meal prep my breakfast for tomorrow while browning the sausage and then cooking the broccoli and garlic. I used chicken sausage and whole wheat pasta, and it came out perfectly. I can’t wait to bring the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
This is excellent and I have made it several times. I had some trouble the first few times because I use gluten free pasta but here’s what worked for me:
I used an entire 12-oz box of Jovial brown rice penne and increased the chicken broth to 3 cups. I added the pasta only after the broth, sundried tomatoes, and red pepper flake combination had come up to a boil. I simmered it with the lid on for 12 minutes (the amount of time listed on the box for this type of pasta) stirring every three minutes (I ended up turning the stove down several times to keep it at a gentle simmer). It was still a bit firm, so I simmered it with the lid on for two more minutes. I stirred the sausage and broccoli back in and let it all sit with the lid on for 2-3 minutes. The pasta was still al dente so it could have been cooked longer. And of course, different brands and types of gluten-free pasta will cook up differently so experimentation will be necessary.
Would you believe I had everything but the pasta!? PANTRY FAIL! OK finally got some pasta and this was very easy and fast. Will more again soon with the remaining broccoli, pasta and sausage!
This was fun to make and a fun twist on pasta. I did find it a tad too salty – I might recommended adding a bit less chicken broth and replacing it with water if you are watching your salt intake
Kudos Beth. This is one of the best recipes you have created. I took some in for lunch and my co-workers were so jealous. They ate cafeteria food and I HAD THIS!!! I didn’t have the heart to tell them it cost less than $2.00. It just seemed cruel. (Many smile emojis)
Haha, I love making co-workers jealous in the lunch room! :D
Thanks for this one, Beth! I added a cup of half and half near the end as I had 10 oz of pasta to use up. Otherwise followed the recipe to a tee and it was a big hit, everyone wanted seconds!
We loved this recipe! I made it for my whole family and everyone loved it. I added mushrooms and onions. Great for a quick and easy meal.
This was delicious and easy! I followed the recipe as is. I found a similar pasta at Trader Joe’s and used Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage links and Trader Joe’s Organic Frozen Broccoli in the recipe. Made it twice already and will make it again soon!! Thank you!!
This was so so so good!!!! It was fairly easy even for never having cooked sausage links before, which was kind of a learning curve for me. I only had a 14oz can of chicken broth, so I added a little bit more water and a chicken bullion cube to even it out. I also didn’t realize I was supposed to cook the pasta with the lid on, but it still came out perfect! I can’t wait to cook this again for my boyfriend – it’s going to be even easier the second time around.
I have made this recipe several times and every time I do – nothing but compliments. I’ve had to make a few adjustments as I don’t have access to Italian sausage (Germans are sausage traditionalists), but I’ve found that merguez is a really good substitute and has a lovely flavour if you’re looking to change things up a bit. I also add in sauteed mushrooms and zucchini when I can’t find fresh broccoli at the store. Noms!
Made this last night for dinner. Really good and super easy. Used 16 oz package of sausage and a 10 oz package of frozen broccoli. Anyway, sad to find that my husband nabbed the leftovers for his lunch today….
Hi,
I’m very new to the whole meal prep/cooking thing and thought this simple meal would be a good place to start ;) I think I need some advice on what kind of cookware to use though. I tried using a proper pot but that didn’t work so well with frying the sausage/garlic. Then I tried a frying pan but that didn’t work so well with the pasta.
Then I googled a skillet and realised that it’s basically a cross between the two – right?
All of my cookware is kind of falling apart so I’d like to buy a couple of high quality things. If I’m looking to prepare meals on the simpler end, what would you recommend spending some money on? Would just buying one good quality skillet be a good investment?
Thanks!
The most important thing when buying cookware is to make sure the metal is thick and heavy. Anything that is thin and light won’t cook your food evenly. If you only have one item to buy, I would make it either a deep skillet (like this one) or a Dutch Oven (like this one). Both are very multifunctional and you’ll be able to use them in place of several different types of pots and pans. Also, try to get the deep skillet without a plastic handle, so it can go in the oven.
Thank you!! Much appreciated.
Can I ask just one more question – would you recommend a stainless steel skillet or a cast iron one? I’d be interested in learning how to cook steaks, so I thought a cast iron one might be better, but I’m not sure whether there are any downsides to it. Thanks!
Cast iron is excellent for certain things, especially steak! Basically anything where you want to get a really nice browning on the outside, cast iron can’t be beat. It can be a bit of a pain to take care of though, so for simple dishes like this pasta I usually just stick to my normal cookware. While I don’t have a good guide for taking care of cast iron, there are several out there on the internet, so I’d suggest watching a few of those before buying so you’ll know what you’re in for. ;) (The other benefit to cast iron is that it’s relatively inexpensive for it’s weight an d thickness! My skillet was <$20!)
This is the best recipe hands down! I’ve been trying to cook more recently and this was a huge hit. Thanks so much! :)
This was delicious! I ended up using 1.5 cups of chicken broth and a cup of heavy cream. I wasn’t able to eat lunch at work today and a creamy pasta hit the spot!
Thank you for this recipe!
Do you think canned artichokes or black/kalamata olives or capers would be good with this?
Yes, I think any of those would add a nice salty kick! :)
Yaaaaaaaaas. This was soooo good. A meal planning dream. Thank you again!
Amazing!!!! Was able to find dry bagged sun-dried tomatoes in the produce section at my grocery store. Also, used bulk sweet sausage as it was 2 dollars cheaper, I just cooked it in chunkier pieces. For the pasta I used orecchiette. Needed a little extra salt, I tasted the broth before I cooked the pasta in it. Delish! will try different variations of this.
Our whole family loves this recipe, so we make it often. We use Field Roast vegetarian sausage, fresh broccoli, and cashew “parmesan”, but leave all else the same. It is so, so delicious!
So good, ended up drizzling a bit of the leftover sun-dried tomato oil over it to finish it off as well. Thanks Beth!A
I love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times and for some reason, I always seem to forget to purchase the sun-dried tomato. I’ve ended up using red pepper instead and it’s also tasty, hah. This is such a great “what do I have in my kitchen?” recipe.
I thought this would be a failure when my oil/fat started smoking about 1 minute into cooking the sausage. But no fire alarms went off and I was surprised by how much my family & I loved it. My son ate all the sausage, my toddler stole everyone’s broccoli. I’ll definitely be making this again to perfect my technique.
I love love love this recipe! I replace regular pork sausage with an Italian style chicken sausage to make it a little healthier. Tastes amazing! Everyone I’ve made it for loved it!
Yum! Easy and filling! I used homemade stock that wasn’t salted, so I had to add salt, but other than that the recipe was spot on.
The One Pot Sausage Sun Dried Tomato Pasta was out-of-this-world delicious!!! Unfortunately, I was unable to find sun dried tomatoes in a package, as well as in a jar packed with olive oil. So, I used sun dried tomato pesto, and continued to follow the recipe. It was so good that I had to refrain myself from getting seconds, since I want to enjoy left overs for the next several days. Hopefully, I can find sun dried tomatoes again in the future. Better luck next time. Thank you, Beth for this amazing recipe!!! :-)
I think pesto in this recipe would be a brilliant idea!
Absolutely awesome! I am a cookbook and food blog addict…your blog is my new favorite!
SOOOOOOO tasty! This recipe was so easy to modify and use what I had on hand. For example, I normally have a warehouse store-sized jar of sliced sun-dried tomatoes in the fridge (the cost is only a couple of dollars more than an 8 oz jar at the store, and it lasts forever), so I used drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes instead of dried. I also had an extra bulb of fresh fennel sitting in the fridge from a recipe last week, so I roasted that in the oven while the rest cooked, diced it, and threw it in at the end! We just finished dinner, and I am already looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow. It may be my elevation, but the ‘one pot’ meals with pasta always take twice the time and nearly twice the liquid, to cook through. But, honestly, adding another 7 minutes still delivered a complete meal in record time. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Yummy recipe! I love this because it is easy but it is also a full meal and a real show stopper. Maybe its the sun dried tomato’s. Great for impressing and so easy! I like to throw in chopped parsley, lemon, and some fresh halves cherry tomato’s right at the end if Im feeling fancy! Great one Beth, thank you! You turned me on to one pot meals! So much less to clean and I love when I don’t need to turn on the oven!
I love Budget Bytes!!! I’ve been using this site for over a year and it’s my go-to when I make a weekly menu. For this recipe, sundried tomatoes were too expensive, $5 a small jar, so I substituted with sliced pimientos which cost less than a dollar and tasted great!
Definitely check to see if you can get the dry type that are in a bag instead of packed in oil in a jar. They’re great for this type of recipe where they simmer in liquid and are usually a lot less expensive than the oil type. :) I find then in my produce department.
I am so making this! Out of curiosity, is there a reason you don’t add the sausage to the pot while the pasta is cooking?
I didn’t want it to get water logged or the nice caramelization on the edges to get rinsed off. :)
Omg! Always love your recipes, Beth. This was amazing!
This was seriously SO GOOD! Even my two picky children (ages 2 and 4) ate it u happily!
Added an extra cup of broth and about 1/4 of a block of cream cheese. Used 2 Roasted Garlic Smoked sausage from Costco – LOVED it and it’s now on my “Tried, True Easy & Delicious” Pinterest board!
Is there anyway you can have nutritional facts on your recipes? I’m thinking just the Calories, Protein, Fats, Carbs. or Do you have any recipes with that info?
I’m sorry, I don’t have a reliable source for that info. The online calculators that most blogs and websites use can be quite inaccurate and I don’t feel comfortable sharing incorrect information. That can be dangerous to people with health conditions.
Mmmm, nom nom, slurp! Second time making this, truly delicious.
We made this tonight; it was good. I thought the broccoli was the best part. My husband said he would order it in a restaurant if it were on a menu. It took longer to cook than I expected, so if we make it again, we’ll probably wait for the weekend.
This was delicious and easy. My whole family enjoyed it. I’d totally make it again!
This was SO GOOD…. so much so that my husband and I ate the entire thing in one sitting. So much for 4 servings… ha! Thanks for all your fabulous recipes!
Oh man, I just made this and it is GOOD. Love the one pot after a long day.
I have an international friend staying with my land lady and I for a while. I asked her what she might like for dinner one night and she said that “Meat and Pasta” were her favorite. I looked at the recipe and low and behold, I had just about everything I needed for this!! I just needed to buy some sundried tomatoes. We ate everything together in one night which was great since refrigerator space is at a premium at the moment with 4 grown adults trying to share it and none of us usually cook for the other.
Absolutely delicious!!! Thank you, Beth, for yet another wonderful meal (that was even fun to cook).
This was amazing!! I used spicy sausage instead of sweet, went easy on the red pepper flakes, and it was delicious!
I made this with crumbled chorizo and my family went cuckoo-bananas. Thanks for a winner-winner-pasta-dinner!
My son made this for the family and used left over sausages from a bbq so used a table spoon of oil for the frying it was still delicious. Thanks
Where do you find sun-dried tomatoes?
I usually find them in the produce section near the jarred minced garlic. I used the dry kind in a bag, although they often have jarred sun dried tomatoes in oil in that area as well. If you can’t find them there, perhaps check the salad aisle near the jarred olives.
This is one of my favorite recipes from you and I’ve already made it several times because I enjoy it so much, but also because I can put down the entire recipe in one sitting. If I wanted to double everything can I make it the same way as before, but maybe doing the sausage in two batches so it doesn’t over crowd the skillet?
I’ve got a 1/2-lb. of mild Italian sausage in my freezer. Think that will work just as well as the sweet?
Yes, that will probably still be great. :)
Um, I made this last night…and it was INCREDIBLE!
Glad you liked it!
Made this tonight and it was so good! Didn’t have much fat to drain and I used fusilli pasta which took 11 minutes to cook to ‘al dente’ but that was enough time for all the broth to absorb. Definitely going to add this to my rotation of meals!
This was delicious! I used turkey sausage and my own homemade chicken broth, kept everything else about the same, and used rotini shaped noodles – I thought these absorbed the flavor well. I also added extra salt and cheese. My very picky 9 year old actually took seconds and for once I didn’t have to force her to eat her broccoli. Win!
I got your email and wanted to try this right away! This dish has a ton of flavor, and I got to use up some of the sausage that I bought for your Sausage Kale Cassoulet recipe. Both of these recipes were great, and I will make again in the future! Thanks Beth!!
I made this two nights ago and Mr. MLM couldn’t wait for it to be ready. I’m not a huge broccoli fan, but this was very good. Loved the combination of flavors.
I made this last night and it came out fantastic! I don’t always like sundries tomatoes (or broccoli) but I loved this. Very easy too!
Do you suggest the oil-packed tomatoes or the dry ones? Or does it not make a difference?
I am a vegetarian and am going to try this with veggie sausage. Field Roast is a great brand. Love your blog!
I normally like the oil packed ones because they are more tender and seem to me to have more flavor, but for this recipe I think dry would almost be better because they plump up as they simmer in the broth. :)
For the oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, I suggest using a paper towel to soak up the extra oil before putting them in the pot. They can release a lot of oil while cooking and make the dish a bit too oily at the end. At least, that was my experience.
I also tried the dry-packed tomatoes; they were fine and absorbed enough liquid during the cooking process to be flavourful and easy to chew. Bonus: they are usually less expensive as well!
Omnomnom. This is soooo flavorful and comforting. Also very quick and easy to make. It was perfect to throw together after a very long day at work.
I subbed tofurkey Italian sausage (I added a sprinkle of fennel while browning) subbed bell peppers and red onion for the broccoli and used whole wheat shells – needed almost an extra cup of water. Delicious. I don’t see us having leftovers. Thanks, Beth!!
I was wondering if you try to eat a certain diet? LIke mediterranean or low-carb? LIke how do you try to balance your diet? Are you very conscientious about it?
I really try to stay away from specific diets. I’m more of an “all things in moderation” type of person. :) I value variety in my diet, so I don’t like diets that try to restrict certain food groups. For me it’s all about keeping my portions in check and not snacking all day.
I am interested in this but not a fan of the flavor of Italian sausage. Would a smoked sausage work as well? or breakfast sausage?
Smoked sausage might be a nice twist!
I made this last night and it was great! Only a couple of things:
(1) I found that the sausages only gave me about a tablespoon of grease, so draining wasn’t really necessary. Probably depends on the sausage you use (I used uncooked Italian pork sausage from Trader Joes)
(2) The printed recipe and the step-by-step differ as to how long to cook the broccoli (once says 2-3 minutes, other says 3-5)… however I found that even after 5 minutes the broccoli was still partially frozen and cold to the touch.
(3) I used fusilli pasta which worked great. Also, it’d be helpful to get an idea of how much sun-dried tomato to buy, by weight. (I bought a 3-oz Trader Joe’s package and I think I used about half of the package)… also, sun-dried tomatoes are sold both dry and in oil, it’d be nice to specify which is preferable for the recipe. (I used the dry ones and they worked well)
(4) My instinct when I added the chicken stock was that there wasn’t enough liquid for the pasta (the liquid didn’t completely cover the pasta) but it seemed to come out ok… I probably would add slightly more liquid in the future, as the pasta was slightly more firm than I like, but it wasn’t a big deal.
I made something similar to this the other night and it was SO GOOD. Using chicken broth made all the difference. Mine had Aldi’s mix of kale, swiss chard + spinach instead of broccoli and chicken sausage with feta and sundried tomato. Also caramelized some onion and baby bella mushrooms. (P.S. I pretty much only cook from this site and Smitten Kitchen. Keep up the great posts and recipes so I can keep eating well ha. :) )
Made this for dinner last night, and I think it might be my boyfriend’s favorite thing that I’ve ever cooked. SO GOOD. I am very excited to eat my leftovers for lunch soon (I would have gotten two lunches out of it if my boyfriend hadn’t gone back for seconds, haha), and am thrilled that I have leftover ingredients. I’ll definitely be making this again next week! So quick, easy, and delicious — I love it!
Sorry, I’m a bit dense and want to make sure I don’t ruin this recipe! So you should add the uncooked pasta to the 2 cups of broth and that will 1) cook the pasta entirely and 2) absorb most of the excess liquid? Thanks in advance and this looks super tasty! Can’t wait to try it :)
Yep, that’s exactly right! :) The uncooked pasta simmers in the broth until the pasta is tender and at that point the broth will be almost completely absorbed. Keeping the lid on the skillet as it simmers helps trap the steam, which gets absorbed by the pasta that is not fully covered by the liquid broth.
This looks so good! I love that it’s made all in one pot. Less to clean up afterwards is always a good thing.
My picky family loved it 4.5 out of 5 people so this will stay in the rotation of quick dinner options! I used Amy’s Chicken, Apple, Gouda brats from Costco and just sliced up 3 of them for this recipe. I did pan sear the brats and the cheese chunks did stick a bit so important to have the olive oil and to stir. I loved the simplicity of this meal and the kids were loving the smell of the garlic (they thought there was garlic bread so their minds were already set to a positive to give it a try :) )
I doubled the broccoli and sausage and it was amazing. I was told to make it again tomorrow, lol.
For anyone wanting to make this vegetarian, Trader Joe’s makes a great soy chorizo that I think would be good in place of the sausage!
I made this tonight and had to stop myself from eating the entire pot because I need to save some for lunch tomorrow. Also, eating an entire pot of pasta is insane. (But so, so delicious.) It was super easy to make, though the tomatoes came out to being a bit pricey because I found them pre-sliced and I’m prepared to pay for my own laziness.
I made this as posted except I subbed a can of white beans for the broccoli. It was good and it got eaten up! Will try broccoli next time!
I like the combination of broccoli and dried tomatoes!
But do you have an idea for a substitute for the sausage? I’d like to make this vegetarian.
I was thinking maybe capers, black olives or maybe sprinkle some feta on top when serving..
Thanks!
I’m not sure because the sausage really lends a LOT of flavor to this dish between the browned fats and proteins and all the herbs and spices that are in the sausage itself. I think I would try to look for a vegetarian sausage.
Fennel seeds will add a sausage flavor. If I’m subbing hamburger for sausage I add fennel seeds to give a flavor of sausage. That along with your salty ideas of would help.
I use the veggie crumbles (soy) you can find in the frozen section whenever my vegetarian daughter is at my house. There are a couple of brands and numerous flavors so I would be surprised if you don’t find one that emulates Italian sausage–I tend to stop with the hamburger type that I use for chili, spaghetti, etc. To be honest, as part of a pasta, soup, or casserole, I can’t readily detect any difference between the meat and the soy substitute. This recipe as written is delicious
Look at that, our dinner plans changed, just like that! ;)
Omg I saw you post this on your Instagram and got way too excited for dinner tonight. Thanks for sharing, I can’t wait to try this!!
I love the idea of this – but I wonder what other vegetable I could use – we eat SO MUCH broccoli!
Spinach would be great!
You could use cauliflower or asparagus.
Second the spinach suggestion – this is very similar to a recipe that I got from a friend a few years ago and it uses spinach as the vegetable. I’ve done it with both fresh (typically one whole bunch, about 8oz) or frozen (1/2 to whole block, depending on how I’m feeling). Either way I add it right at the end so I have control over how much it cooks.
Looks really good. I make a tuna pasta sauce with canned tomatoes and sun dried tomatoes and it’s delicious.
Would whole wheat pasta work with this method?
It does, but you may need to tweak the amount of broth. You can do that as it cooks, though. If it starts to look dry before the pasta is tender, just add a little water.
Any recommendations for a vegetarian sub for the sausage?? Or is that the whole point of this recipe? :)
Yeah, the sausage really does play a major roll in this one, unfortunately. The browned fats and the seasoning in the sausage are responsible for so much of the flavor. I might try to make something similar soon that is vegetarian, though (with a slightly different flavor profile, of course). I just need to do some testing.
Looks very delicious. Can’t wait to try.
This looks absolutely FANTASTIC!!! I can’t wait to make this for the boys in my house!!!!
Oh. My. Gosh. My mouth is watering right now. Looks like I will have to make this recipe very soon!!!! :-)