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. 🤤
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!