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