Juicy flavorful Italian sausage is cooked together with dry pasta in a tasty tomato sauce to make this One Pot Sausage Pasta. The cooked pasta is then topped with 3 types of Italian cheeses that are then melted to perfection to create an undeniable delicious quick and easy creamy, meaty, cheesy one pot pasta!
One Pot Sausage Pasta Recipe
I’m a big fan of one pot meals! I mean aren’t we all!?! But one pot pasta is seriously amazing! Like my One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta and Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta, not having to boil the pasta separately is a total game changer! No need to make the sauce in its own pot, boil the pasta, combine, then transfer, and so on. Nope! This one pot sausage pasta recipe is literally cooked in just one pot from start to finish and it’s so good.
Also, one of the best parts about cooking the pasta in the same pot as the sauce is that the pasta itself is infused with all the layered flavor of the sauce. So it’s not like some pasta dishes where the noodles have very little flavor without the sauce. In fact, this dish with chunks of sausage, creamy flavorful tomato sauce, and melted cheese that is perfectly browned is an explosion of flavor with each and every bite.
And this recipe is super easy! There are very few steps involved in this one pot cheesy sausage pasta, which makes it a great weeknight meal option! All you have to do is add a side like steamed broccoli or a salad like my Kale Salad or BLT Salad and dinner is served!
Why We Love This One Pot Sausage Pasta
- Super Easy! The pasta cooks right in the sauce for this amazing one pot pasta with sausage! So there is very little cleanup making this dish a fantastic quick and easy weeknight dinner.
- Meaty And Cheesy! Full of tasty chunks of perfectly cooked Italian sausage and delicious melted Italian cheeses, this creamy sausage and pasta dish is so meaty and cheesy.
- Family Favorite! The kids will love this one pot sausage pasta as much as the adults. It’s got cheese, noodles, and meat. Almost like pizza on a plate without the crust and extra yummy cheese.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Italian Sausage: I used mild Italian sausage, but you can also use spicy Italian sausage if you prefer.
- Pasta – I used penne pasta, but ziti will work too. Overall, you can use any bite-size shape of pasta you like, but I do find that the long tubular-shaped pasta is my favorite in this dish.
- Diced Tomatoes – Diced tomatoes add a little chunky texture to the dish along with the sausage and a fresh tomato taste.
- Tomato Sauce – An important core ingredient of the sauce for both taste and consistency.
- Mozzarella Cheese – I like to buy a ball of mozzarella and shred my own for the freshest and most cheesy flavor free of preservatives.
- Onion – Ideally, brown onion is best, but any type of onion you have on hand is fine.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is the best choice for the most flavorful sauce. Jarred garlic will work, but can have a bitter taste if it has been in your fridge for a long time.
- Tomato Paste – It’s a concentrated version of tomato sauce. Tomato paste adds even more lovely tomato flavor to the Italian sausage pasta.
- Italian Seasonings – This mix of herbs is sold in any grocery store and is typically a blend of basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and marjoram. So if you don’t have any Italian seasoning on hand you can just use a combination of these herbs or whatever you have in your pantry.
- Sugar – A pinch of sugar is used to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Salt – No pasta dish would be complete without a touch of salt to bring out the flavors.
- Black Pepper – You can use regular or freshly ground black pepper to your taste.
- Parmesan Cheese – Adds a yummy salty cheesy taste. And a better quality Parmesan will elevate the dish even more.
- Ricotta Cheese – The best choice for this recipe is ricotta cheese. You can also use cream cheese if you don’t have any ricotta on hand.
- Fresh Basil – Used to both garnish the pasta and add more fresh herby flavor.
How To Make One Pot Sausage Pasta
- Brown the sausage: Remove the Italian sausage from the casing. Then heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Now, cook until it’s no longer pink, breaking it up as you stir it to brown.
- Add the onion and garlic: Add the onion and garlic to the Dutch oven with the sausage and cook for another 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent and soft.
- Stir in the tomatoes and seasonings: Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Cook the pasta: Add the water and pasta to the pot. Then stir until the pasta is completely submerged in liquid. Now, cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Then remove the pot from the heat.
- Top with cheese: Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Then using a tablespoon, top the pasta with dollops of the ricotta cheese or mix it in. Finally, sprinkle the top of the pasta with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Melt the cheese: Place the Dutch oven under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese just until it starts to brown.
- Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the finished one pot sausage pasta with freshly chopped basil and serve with your favorite salad or vegetable side to complete the meal!
What Does It Mean To Cook Pasta Al Dente?
Pasta is best when cooked “al dente” which is when it’s tender but still firm to the bite. To do this, I always suggest checking the doneness of the pasta about 2 minutes before you think it’s going to be done and then watching it closely. Also, remember that pasta will keep cooking for a little bit longer even after it’s removed from the heat.
What Types Of Pasta Can I Use?
I used penne pasta and love how the sauce fills the tubes of it. Ziti would be my second tubular-shaped pasta choice along with rigatoni. But you can use any bite-sized shape of pasta you like for this one pot Italian sausage pasta recipe.
Can I Make This Pasta Gluten-Free?
Yes! Just use your favorite gluten-free pasta to make the recipe gluten-free.
Can I Make This Pasta Spicy?
Yes! You can easily customize this recipe and make a spicy one pot sausage pasta. Simply use hot Italian sausage instead. You can also add crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce as well which will add heat to the creamy sauce.
Expert Tips
- Use quality ingredients. Italian cooking is all about very simple, but high-quality ingredients. So choosing a really flavorful Italian sausage and cheeses will make a difference in this pasta dish.
- Brown the sausage well. You really want to cook the sausage properly before adding the other ingredients. All those little brown bits on the bottom of the Dutch oven produced by cooking the sausage add layers of savory flavor to the sauce.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. The pasta does need to be fully cooked to al dente before putting it under the broiler to melt the cheese, but it’s also easy to overcook it if you don’t watch the time. So I always suggest setting a timer when cooking pasta dishes.
Leftovers
One pot sausage pasta will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To reheat, simply mix it with a few tablespoons of water to add some moisture, then cover, and pop it in the microwave for a few minutes on medium power. Or, you can add a little water and reheat it in a pan over medium heat.
If reheating from frozen, put it in the oven at 350°F (176°C) for about 15 minutes. You can also let the frozen pasta thaw out in the fridge overnight and then reheat it on the stove or in the microwave.
Other Delicious One Pot Pasta Recipes To Try
- Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Broccoli Chicken Casserole
- Pepperoni Pizza Pasta
- Instant Pot Baked Ziti
- Creamy Red Pepper Sausage Pasta
- Pasta Fagioli
Craving More? Follow Along:
One Pot Sausage Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound Italian sausage mild, casings removed
- 1 small onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can
- 14.5 ounce tomato sauce 1 can
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1½ cup water
- 12 ounces pasta such as penne, ziti
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
- 8 ounces ricotta cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Brown the sausage: Remove the Italian sausage from the casing. Then heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Now, cook until it’s no longer pink, breaking it up as you stir it to brown.
- Add the onion and garlic: Add the onion and garlic to the Dutch oven with the sausage and cook for another 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent and soft.
- Stir in the tomatoes and seasonings: Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to simmer for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Cook the pasta: Add the water and pasta to the pot. Then stir until the pasta is completely submerged in liquid. Now, cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Then remove the pot from the heat.
- Top with cheese: Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese. Then using a tablespoon, top the pasta with dollops of the ricotta cheese or mix it in. Finally, sprinkle the top of the pasta with the shredded mozzarella cheese.
- Melt the cheese: Place the Dutch oven under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese just until it starts to brown.Garnish and serve: Sprinkle the finished one pot sausage pasta with freshly chopped basil and serve with your favorite salad or vegetable side to complete the meal!
Tips & Notes:
- Use quality ingredients. Italian cooking is all about very simple, but high-quality ingredients. So choosing a really flavorful Italian sausage and cheeses will make a difference in this pasta dish.
- Brown the sausage well. You really want to cook the sausage properly before adding the other ingredients. All those little brown bits on the bottom of the Dutch oven produced by cooking the sausage add layers of savory flavor to the sauce.
- Don’t overcook the pasta. The pasta does need to be fully cooked to al dente before putting it under the broiler to melt the cheese, but it’s also easy to overcook it if you don’t watch the time. So I always suggest setting a timer when cooking pasta dishes.
