No matter the time of year, it’s always a good day to make this lazy cheesy kielbasa pasta recipe. Here’s why. It’s ridiculously cheesy and packed with smoky sausage flavor. Mmmm!
But besides the reliable, delicious flavor, the best part is that it only requires one pot, making clean-up a breeze.
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This simple pasta dish is perfect for those busy weeknights where bedtime can’t come soon enough. It’s so comforting and tasty in the cooler months, but we’ve also made it in the summer, and guess what…everyone still loves it! It also works great for dinner guests or feeding the neighbors’ kids.
Looking for other ways to serve kielbasa? How about this kielbasa, peppers, and onions recipe or this Asian kielbasa and broccoli recipe.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe…
- It’s made with just 10 ingredients and one pan. On the days when life is giving you uppercuts and left hooks, this simple pasta dish comes to the rescue. It’ll be done in just 30 minutes. Then, after you eat, cleaning up is easy too.
- That cheesy, smoky, meaty flavor satisfies all. Kielbasa is a cheat code when it comes to adding lots of flavor with little effort. The cheese and pasta are the very definition of comfort food. It’s like mac and cheese for folks with a driver’s license.
- It’s easy on your wallet. Kielbasa, pasta, cheese, canned, tomatoes, are the main ingredients to this recipe. And guess what? They’re all budget-friendly. Nothing fancy, just simple ingredients.
- Don’t forget about this delicious pasta recipe when planning a birthday party or gathering. It’s great for a crowd. It has a flavor that most everyone will love.
Ingredients
- Kielbasa Sausage – choose your favorite brand.
- Pasta – we used penne, but any larger pasta, such as rigatoni or ziti, will work too.
- Shredded Cheese – We used cheddar and Monterey Jack because they are flavorful and economical; however, feel free to try gruyere or mozzarella as well.
- Cream Cheese – it’s a must have as it makes the dish super creamy.
- Canned Diced Tomatoes – we chose fire roasted.
- Chicken Broth
- Heavy Cream
- Onion – white or yellow
- Garlic
- Olive Oil
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make One Pot Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add sliced kielbasa and cook until lightly browned.
Add the diced onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes, until they start to soften.
Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
Pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, heavy cream, and uncooked pasta.
Stir to fully combine, making sure pasta is mostly submerged. Add up to ½ cup more broth or water if needed.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 13-15 minutes, stirring often, until pasta is cooked through.
Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar, Monterey Jack cheese, and cream cheese until they arefully melted and combined.
Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
Top Tip
For maximum flavor, don’t skip browning the sausage. It adds a great deal of flavor and texture to the dish, thanks to its crispy edges. Mmmm!
Storage
While pasta isn’t my favorite leftover dish, it does reheat fairly well. To store, let it cool down completely, then put it in a food storage container for up to 4 days (honestly, it’ll taste best if you eat it by day 3).
Reheat it on the stove over low heat or microwave it with a splash of milk.
Freezing pasta dishes isn’t my fave, but it can be okay. Just know that the texture may be a bit softer after reheating.
FAQs
Yes, of course! Make it a bit healthier with turkey kielbasa. Up the flavor with andouille or really any other sausage you like. Heck, even hot dogs will work (and yes, hot dogs are a type of sausage).
Really, any kind of dry pasta works. But, for this dish, we prefer pasta like penne, rotini, rigatoni, over macaroni or farfalle (bowtie).
Yes! Spinach is particularly great to add to this dish. But broccoli also works well.
Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 13 Oz Kielbasa Sliced
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- ½ Cup Onion Diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 8 Oz Penne Pasta
- 2 Cups Chicken Broth
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- 1 ½ Cups Monterey Jack Cheese Shredded
- ½ Cup Cheddar Cheese Shredded
- 2 Oz Cream Cheese Room Temperature
Instructions
- In a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Add sliced kielbasa and cook until lightly browned.
- Add the diced onions and sauté for 2-3 minutes until starting to soften.
- Add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes, heavy cream, and uncooked pasta. Stir to fully combine, making sure pasta is mostly submerged. Add up to ½ cup more broth or water if needed.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 13-15 minutes, stirring often, until pasta is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and stir in the cheddar, Monterey jack cheese, and cream cheese until fully melted and combined.
- Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave.
Nutrition
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