Creamy kielbasa pasta is pure comfort food magic! This easy weeknight dinner combines smoky kielbasa sausage, perfectly cooked pasta, and the most luscious cheese sauce that comes together in one pan. With simple ingredients and minimal cleanup, you’ll have a restaurant-quality meal on the table in under 30 minutes!
Love More Pasta Recipes? Try My One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta or this Chicken Apple Sausage One Pan Pasta next.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Rich, hearty, and full of flavor, this Creamy Kielbasa Pasta is the ultimate comfort food. Slices of smoky kielbasa are tossed with tender pasta in a luscious, creamy sauce that’s perfectly seasoned and oh-so-satisfying. A one-pan dinner that’s quick, easy, and sure to please the whole family!
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Creamy Kielbasa Pasta
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 cups
Description
Creamy Kielbasa Pasta is an easy one-pan dinner featuring smoky kielbasa sausage and pasta in a rich, cheesy sauce. Ready in under 30 minutes with simple ingredients, this budget-friendly comfort food recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. The combination of sharp cheddar, parmesan, and perfectly seasoned cream sauce creates restaurant-quality flavor at home.
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 12 oz pasta (penne or rigatoni recommended)
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 14 oz smoked kielbasa, sliced into ¼ inch slices
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or more – measure with your heart!)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ cups half and half/single cream
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried chives
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups cheese, shredded (Cheddar or Colby recommended)
- ½ cup parmesan, grated
Optional Add-ins:
- Pangrattato (breadcrumb topping) for crunch
- Baby spinach leaves (added at the end)
- Mushrooms, celery, zucchini, or bell peppers
- Peas
- Diced tomatoes
Instructions
Boil water. Add salt. Cook pasta one minute less than the box says because it’ll finish cooking in the sauce. Scoop out some pasta water before you drain it – you’ll need it in a minute.
Heat oil in your skillet, crank it to high, throw in the kielbasa. Let it sit for 2 minutes so the edges get brown and crispy. Don’t move it around too much.
Toss in the onion, cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds. Watch the garlic – it goes from perfect to burnt in like 5 seconds.
Sprinkle flour over everything, stir it around. Pour in the broth slowly, like a little bit at a time, and keep stirring. This is annoying but it’s how you avoid lumps so just do it.
Pour in the cream and add all those dried herbs and pepper. Let it bubble for 2 minutes.
Add cheese slowly. Like a handful at a time, stir until it melts, then add more. Don’t dump it all in or you’ll get clumps. Turn the heat to low and let it sit while your pasta finishes.
Dump the pasta into the sauce with about half a cup of that pasta water. Toss it all together, let it cook for a minute. If it’s too thick add more water. If it’s too thin let it cook longer.
Notes
- Shred your own cheese! I cannot stress this enough. Pre-shredded cheese contains cellulose (an anti-caking agent) that prevents smooth melting. Take 2 extra minutes to shred it yourself, and you’ll have a sauce that’s impossibly smooth and creamy.
- Same goes for parmesan – buy a block and grate it fresh. Store-bought pre-grated parmesan will leave your sauce grainy and sad. Fresh-grated parmesan creates that luscious, velvety texture we’re after.
- Don’t forget the pasta water! That starchy water is your secret weapon for the perfect sauce consistency. It helps the sauce cling to every noodle and can save a sauce that’s gotten too thick.
- Keep the heat low when adding cheese. High heat can cause the cheese to separate and become grainy. Low and slow wins the race here!
- Common mistake to avoid: Adding all the broth at once. Pour it in gradually while stirring constantly to prevent lumps in your roux.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredient List
For the Pasta:
- 12 oz pasta (penne or rigatoni recommended)
- 1 tablespoon salt
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 14 oz smoked kielbasa, sliced into ¼ inch slices
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (or more – measure with your heart!)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1½ cups half and half/single cream
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried chives
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups cheese, shredded (Cheddar or Colby recommended)
- ½ cup parmesan, grated
Optional Add-ins:
- Pangrattato (breadcrumb topping) for crunch
- Baby spinach leaves (added at the end)
- Mushrooms, celery, zucchini, or bell peppers
- Peas
- Diced tomatoes
Substitution Notes:
- Use whatever broth you have – chicken, vegetable, beef, doesn’t matter
- Any onion works, I just grab whatever’s in my pantry
- Cheese is flexible – use what melts well
- Turkey kielbasa if you want less fat
Why These Ingredients Work
Kielbasa’s already smoked and cooked. You’re basically just browning it for flavor. That’s why this recipe is so fast.
The flour thing is important though. That’s what makes the sauce actually stick to your pasta instead of being all watery and sad at the bottom of the bowl. Learned that one the hard way.
Okay so here’s the cheese situation. Pre-shredded has this powder stuff on it to keep it from sticking together in the bag. That same powder makes your sauce lumpy and weird. Just shred it yourself, it takes like 90 seconds. Do the same with parmesan or your sauce will be grainy.
Half and half is the sweet spot for creaminess without feeling like you ate a brick. The broth adds flavor. Those dried herbs are there because who actually keeps fresh thyme around? Not me.
Save the pasta water. It’s starchy and that starch helps everything come together. Regular water doesn’t work the same.
Essential Tools and Equipment
- Large pot for boiling pasta
- Heavy-based skillet (at least 12 inches)
- Colander for draining pasta
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wooden spoon or silicone spatula
- Sharp knife and cutting board
- Box grater (for cheese and parmesan)
- Ladle or measuring cup (for reserving pasta water)
How To Make Creamy Kielbasa Pasta
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Boil water. Add salt. Cook pasta one minute less than the box says because it’ll finish cooking in the sauce. Scoop out some pasta water before you drain it – you’ll need it in a minute.
Step 2: Start the Sauce
Heat oil in your skillet, crank it to high, throw in the kielbasa. Let it sit for 2 minutes so the edges get brown and crispy. Don’t move it around too much.
Step 3: Add Aromatics
Toss in the onion, cook for 2 minutes. Add garlic, cook for 30 seconds. Watch the garlic – it goes from perfect to burnt in like 5 seconds.
Step 4: Make the Roux
Sprinkle flour over everything, stir it around. Pour in the broth slowly, like a little bit at a time, and keep stirring. This is annoying but it’s how you avoid lumps so just do it.
Step 5: Add Cream and Seasonings
Pour in the cream and add all those dried herbs and pepper. Let it bubble for 2 minutes.
Step 6: Add Cheese
Add cheese slowly. Like a handful at a time, stir until it melts, then add more. Don’t dump it all in or you’ll get clumps. Turn the heat to low and let it sit while your pasta finishes.
Step 7: Combine
Dump the pasta into the sauce with about half a cup of that pasta water. Toss it all together, let it cook for a minute. If it’s too thick add more water. If it’s too thin let it cook longer.
You Must Know
Undercook your pasta by a minute. It’ll finish in the sauce and won’t get mushy.
I always use more garlic than recipes say. Sometimes double. Life’s too short for wimpy garlic flavor.
Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks
Shred. Your. Own. Cheese. I’m serious about this one. The pre-shredded stuff will ruin your sauce.
Grate parmesan fresh too. Block parmesan tastes better and melts better.
Actually save that pasta water. I’ve forgotten before and just used regular water and you can tell the difference.
Don’t melt cheese over high heat. It gets weird and separated. Keep it on low.
Add the broth slowly or you’ll have lumpy sauce. I know I already said this but people skip this step and then wonder why their sauce is chunky.
Flavor Variations & Suggestions
Throw in whatever vegetables are dying in your crisper drawer. I’ve done mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, spinach – all good. Just cook the hard ones with the onion and add spinach at the end.
Red pepper flakes if you like heat.
Use bacon instead of half the kielbasa. Cook it first and use the bacon fat to cook everything else in. So good.
Mix different cheeses. I’ve done cheddar with Gruyère, or added fontina, or used smoked gouda. Whatever’s on sale honestly.
Add a can of diced tomatoes if you want. Drain them first.
Make crispy garlic breadcrumbs and put them on top if you’re feeling fancy.
Make-Ahead Options
This is really a “make it and eat it now” kind of recipe but you can prep stuff ahead. Slice the sausage, chop the onion, shred the cheese. Keep it all in containers in the fridge for a couple days.
Leftovers are good for 3 days. The sauce gets thick in the fridge so add milk or cream when you reheat it. I just do it on the stove over low heat and stir it a lot.
Freezing is iffy. Cream sauces separate when you freeze them. You can do it but it won’t be as good. If you freeze it, thaw it overnight and reheat slow with extra cream whisked in.
Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips
I’ve probably made this 50 times by now so here’s what I know.
Short pasta is best. Penne, rigatoni, whatever has ridges or tubes to catch the sauce.
That tablespoon of salt in the pasta water is if your water is totally unsalted. If you’re salt-sensitive use less.
Undercooking the pasta is how restaurants do it. The pasta soaks up sauce flavor while it finishes cooking and the texture is better.
Too thick? Add pasta water one spoon at a time. Too thin? More cheese or let it simmer.
Serving Suggestions
We usually just eat this by itself because it’s pretty filling. Sometimes I’ll make a salad if I’m feeling like I should eat a vegetable.
Garlic bread is good with this. You need something to scoop up the extra sauce.
I throw parsley on top if I have it because it makes it look nicer. More parmesan never hurts either.
This is a Tuesday night dinner at my house. But I’ve also made it when we had friends over and nobody knew it was that easy.
Drink whatever you want with it. I usually have wine but my husband drinks beer with it.
How to Store Your Creamy Kielbasa Pasta
Put leftovers in a container with a lid. It’ll keep in the fridge for 3 days. The sauce soaks into the pasta and gets thick, that’s normal.
Reheat it in a pan on the stove with some milk or cream added in. Stir it while it heats up. Or microwave it in 30 second chunks, stirring between, adding liquid as you go.
You can freeze it but I don’t recommend it. Cream sauce gets weird. If you do freeze it, use it within 2 months. Thaw in the fridge, reheat on the stove, add cream while stirring.
Don’t leave it sitting out more than 2 hours. Dairy goes bad.
Allergy Information
Contains:
- Dairy (cream, cheese)
- Gluten (pasta, flour)
- Pork (in traditional kielbasa)
Substitution suggestions:
Dairy-free: use coconut cream or cashew cream instead of half and half, dairy-free cheese, dairy-free butter. Nutritional yeast gives you cheesy flavor. It’ll taste different but still good.
Gluten-free: gluten-free pasta and gluten-free flour. Check your kielbasa label because some have wheat fillers.
Lactose issues: lactose-free cream exists. Hard aged cheeses like cheddar and parmesan have almost no lactose so you might be fine with those.
No pork: turkey kielbasa or chicken sausage.
Questions I Get Asked A Lot
Can I use regular milk instead of half and half?
Yeah but it’s not gonna be as rich. Use whole milk. Add extra flour and maybe some butter.
My sauce is grainy – what did I do wrong?
Pre-shredded cheese or heat was too high. Use block cheese you shred yourself and keep heat low when melting.
Can I make this with a different type of sausage?
Sure. Italian sausage, andouille, chorizo, whatever. Just know they have different spice levels. Even regular smoked sausage works.
The sauce is too thick/too thin – help!
Too thick? Pasta water or more cream. Too thin? Simmer longer or add cheese.
💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! I’d love to hear how it turned out and what variations you tried!
