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Big on taste and convenience, this EASY Creamy Sausage Pasta dinner makes EVERYONE happy at the dinner table. Using just one pan and items from the pantry, it’s super-fast and perfect for weeknights!
DISCLOSURE: This conversation was sponsored by Eckrich. All opinions are my own.
I’m a working mama, my head spins sometimes when I look at our family schedule. Between school drop offs (2 x – different schools, different times), pickups, homework, gymnastics, appointments and you know… working for a living … I regularly stare at the fridge at dinner time wondering:
- where the day went;
- why there are hot wheels cars in my fridge;
- what on earth I’m going to make for dinner that 1) we’ll all enjoy, 2) I can rustle up in 30 minutes or less, 3) using just what I have on hand.
No recipe – no problem!! Thankfully for me, I keep precooked Eckrich Original Skinless Smoked Sausage Rope around for this exact purpose. Crafted with just the right blend of spices for a rich, savory taste, and pre-cooked so all you have to do is heat and eat, Eckrich Naturally Hardwood Smoked Sausage can be paired with whatever you have on-hand in the fridge or pantry for a fast, fool-proof meal that the whole family will love.
Check out the video in the recipe card to see how I do it!
My Creamy Smoked Sausage Pasta comes together in under 30 minutes, and has only a few ingredients! Winning, right? Just smoked sausage, onion, garlic, whatever pasta you have laying around, canned tomatoes, chicken stock, cream and cheddar cheese! No need for a recipe book requiring far fetched ingredients. THIS is all you really need!
Love Sausage Pasta? Tweet it!!
I love dinners that are big on taste and low on dishes. I say that like I actually do the dishes after we eat. Hehe. This dinner is GREAT for a weeknight – you can prep ahead (ie, the night before) very easily and this will come together in about 20 minutes. I recommend using the extra time to go ahead and grab a glass of wine…
You can make this your own, very easily. Use Eckrich Jalapeno & Cheddar Smoked Sausage Links, paired with Pepper Jack cheese. Add more cheese or different cheese! Sub in half n half for the cream, vary up the pasta shape. Any way you make it, you could serve this one-pan pasta dish every week and make it slightly different every time – but always delicious.
Check out the Video in the recipe card where I show you EXACTLY how easy this is to make.
Ingredients in Sausage Pasta
- ECKRICH ORGINAL SKINLESS SMOKED SAUSAGE ROPE – grab this at your grocery store and keep it in the fridge for when you need a quick breakfast/lunch/dinner! Go to the Eckrich website for more recipes and where you can buy it.
- OLIVE OIL – you can use Extra Virgin or a light blend, either will work. You may need a little extra to get your onions cooking well, so keep the bottle on hand
- ONION – chop this up relatively small.
- GARLIC – don’t skimp on garlic.
- CANNED DICED TOMATOES – undrained, you’ll need all the juices for the sauce
- CHICKEN STOCK – make your own or use a store bought one. If you opt for a lower sodium variety, be sure to taste test your dinner and adjust seasoning to make sure it works!
- CREAM – heavy whipping cream. You can sub half n half or milk, but doing so will make your sauce thinner. Add a little cream cheese, or extra cheddar if you sub this out.
- CHEDDAR CHEESE – grate this fresh if you can! It melts easier. Change it out for a Monterey Jack, or a Pepper Jack to change the flavor profile! Just use what you have!
- GREEN ONIONS – because green stuff is pretty. Leave it out if you have picky eaters who refuse to entertain green things in their food and make them eat broccoli instead. You just do you.
How to make Creamy Sausage Pasta
(full printable recipe below – just scroll down to the recipe box!)
Begin by heating the olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven.
Add the Eckrich Smoked Sausage and the diced onion. Cook until the onion begins to soften – 1-2 minutes.
Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the pasta, tomatoes, stock, and cream.
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle the top with cheese. Replace lid and allow to sit 5 minutes, so the cheese melts.
Garnish with green onions.
Devour.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, NOTES, AND TIPS FOR MAKING SAUSAGE PASTA
- Can I use milk or half n half in place of cream?
Yes! you may need to add a little cream cheese to thicken the sauce, but it’s totally doable. - How do I know if my pasta is cooked?
Take a piece out of the pan. Al dente pasta will feel firm, not crunchy when you bite down with your front teeth. - Can I use any kind of sausage?
Yes! Check out the full range of Eckrich Smoked Sausage Products – I recommend trying them all! - Can I double this?
Yes, you can, and you totally should. If you have a bigger family than me, or you just love leftovers – double/triple/quadruple away!
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Big on taste and convenience, this EASY Creamy Sausage Pasta dinner makes EVERYONE happy at the dinner table. Using just one pan, it’s super fast, perfect for weeknights, using items from the pantry!
- 1 lb Eckrich Original Skinless Smoked Sausage Rope sliced
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 tsp minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
- 8 oz bow tie pasta
- 14oz can diced tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 cups cheddar cheese grated
- 2 Tbs green onions sliced
Begin by heating the olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven.
Add the sliced Eckrich Original Skinless Smoked Sausage Rope and the diced onion. Cook until the onion begins to soften - 1-2 minutes.
Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the pasta, tomatoes, stock and cream.
Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle the top with cheese. Replace lid and allow to sit 5 minutes, so the cheese melts.
Garnish with green onions.
Devour.
Recipe Video
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS, NOTES, AND TIPS FOR MAKING SAUSAGE PASTA
- Can I use milk or half n half in place of cream?
Yes! you may need to add a little cream cheese to thicken the sauce, but it's totally doable. - How do I know if my pasta is cooked?
Take a piece out of the pan. Al dente pasta will feel firm, not crunchy when you bite down with your front teeth. - Can I use any kind of sausage?
Yes! Check out the full range of Eckrich sausage - I recommend trying them all! - Can I double this?
Yes, you can, and yes, you totally should. If you have a bigger family than me, or you just love leftovers - double/triple/quadruple away!
Christy
April 24, 2019 at 9:16 amThis pasta is delicious and I love how easy it is to make. I love the smoked sausage, I usually serve it by itself but with the pasta is amazing! This recipe will go on rotation as my kids really enjoyed this dish. They cleaned their plates!
Jaida ~ Sweet Beginnings
April 24, 2019 at 1:20 pmThis was a really great weeknight meal – quick & easy just like this working mama needs meals to be! Great flavor and made in one pot – so, easy and less dishes?!? Yep, this one is a keeper!
Jennifer Stewart
April 29, 2019 at 8:29 amLooks delicious! Love how easy it was to make.
Brandi Burgess
April 29, 2019 at 6:03 pmThis was dinner tonight at our house! Our whole family LOVED it! I love that its ready so fast and all in one pan!
Julie Menghini
April 29, 2019 at 7:26 pmWhat a delicious meal that comes together so easily after a crazy day!
Eva
May 8, 2019 at 11:44 amSounds like the perfect weekday meal when you are both short on time and on fancy stuff in the fridge/pantry. Love the extra time saved used to go grab a glass of wine 😛
Heather
May 8, 2019 at 2:27 pmI love smoked sausage! And this dish looks crazy good..and love that it’s made in one pan! Can’t wait to try this for a quick weeknight meal!
Kelly Anthony
May 10, 2019 at 6:01 amOh, my husband would SO love this pasta dish! And my kids love sausage too! And I love pasta! HA! A total win for the whole family 😉
Sharon
May 10, 2019 at 7:25 pmYou had me at ‘one pan’! Not only does this look delicious but it’s simple too.
Lori | The Kitchen Whisperer
May 11, 2019 at 3:25 pmI love easy peasy meals like this! We all work so hard and there are nights when I just don’t feel like slaving over the stove top!
Jo
May 12, 2019 at 12:00 pmOne pan dinners are truly a boon on busy days. Who wants too many messy dishes to clean-up. right! And pasta has come out perfect! Looks absolutely delicious!
Jessica (Swanky Recipes)
May 12, 2019 at 1:59 pmSausage is huge in Louisiana cooking. We use it in so many flavorful dishes. I love how hassle-free this recipe is. I might even add a little Cajun seasoning, too.
Sara
May 12, 2019 at 6:16 pmOne pan for the win! We have kids sports every night this week and I am determined to win the war against the drive thru for dinner. This looks tasty and will make for an easy dinner with minimal clean up! YAY!
Neha
May 12, 2019 at 8:16 pmYou have done a fantastic job clicking such mouth watering and vibrant clicks! I almost want to reach out of my screen and grab this bowl of deliciousness!!!
Natalie
May 13, 2019 at 2:30 amOh wow.. this looks so delicious and so creamy. My kiddo would LOVE this. That’s why I already saved the recipe. Need to make this asap.