Description
One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta is a quick and easy 30-minute dinner recipe featuring pre-cooked sausage, egg noodles, Rotel tomatoes, and sharp cheddar cheese all cooked together in one skillet. This creamy, comforting meal requires minimal cleanup and is perfect for busy weeknights when you need a delicious, family-friendly dinner on the table fast.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 12 to 14 ounces cooked sausage, sliced into thin discs (Italian sausage, pork sausage, beef sausage, kielbasa, etc.; the kind sold in a ring or U-shape)
- ½ cup yellow onion or white onion, diced
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste (skip it if you’re heat-sensitive!)
- 2 cups chicken broth (I always use reduced sodium so I can control the salt myself)
- ½ cup milk (whole milk or 2% works best – no need for heavy cream here)
- 10 ounce can Rotel (pick your heat level, or swap for a 14-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes for zero spice; don’t drain!)
- 6 ounces dry egg noodles (about 1¼ to 1½ cups; rotini, fusilli, ziti, or penne work great too)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, optional for an extra creamy, thick sauce
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (sharp or extra sharp is my go-to; cheddar-Jack or Monterey Jack work beautifully too)
- Green onions, optional for garnish (or fresh parsley or basil)
Instructions
Turn your burner to medium-high and heat up the oil in your skillet. Drop in the sausage slices and let them cook for 4-5 minutes, flipping them around so they brown on both sides. The sausage is already cooked so you’re just getting it crispy and brown. Chuck in the onions and cook them for another 3 minutes, stirring a bunch, until they get soft and see-through.
Throw in the garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir it around constantly for 1 minute. Your kitchen will smell amazing right about now.
Pour in the chicken broth, milk, and Rotel with all its juice. Stir everything together and let it warm up for a minute or so.
Drop your dry pasta straight into the pan. Use your spoon to push it under the liquid so it’s covered. Turn the heat up until everything’s boiling, then drop it back down to medium-low or low. Stick the lid on and let it bubble away for 10-12 minutes until the pasta’s soft. Every few minutes, give it a stir with tongs so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Sometimes the pasta takes a couple extra minutes – that’s fine. If there’s still liquid and it’s not done, just leave the lid on and keep cooking. If it looks dry but the pasta’s still hard (this almost never happens to me), splash in another ½ cup of broth or milk.
Want thicker sauce? Scoop about ¼ cup of the hot liquid into a small bowl. Mix in 1 tablespoon cornstarch and stir until there’s no lumps. Pour it back in the pan and stir it around. Keep stirring on low heat for 2-3 minutes and the sauce will get thick and gorgeous.
Turn off the heat and dump in all the cheese. Stir it in and it’ll melt into this creamy, dreamy sauce. Taste it now – does it need more salt? More pepper? Add what it needs. If it tastes kinda boring, it probably needs salt. Throw some green onions on top if you feel like it and serve it hot.
Notes
- Don’t skip browning the sausage! Those caramelized bits add incredible depth of flavor.
- Use a large enough skillet – you need room for all that pasta to cook evenly.
- Room temperature milk blends better and prevents temperature shock, but cold is fine too.
- Common mistake: Not stirring enough during pasta cooking. Give it a toss every few minutes to prevent sticking.
- Smart shortcut: Buy pre-diced onions from the produce section to save time!
- Cheese hack: Shred your own cheese from a block – it melts SO much better than pre-shredded.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: American