Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
One-Pot Sausage Pasta
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
This sausage pasta is super easy to make because everything cooks together in one pan. Our one-pot pasta recipe makes an easy, family favorite weeknight dinner. Plus, one-pot cooking means there are fewer dishes to wash!
Do you like one pot meals? We’ve got several that we love. One is chicken alfredo based. Then there’s sloppy joe pasta and another is a lasagna skillet with kale. I love them because they are so versatile…and this new sausage pasta was a HIT with the family!
What’s special about one-pot pasta?
We’re not sure who the genius is behind the creation of one-pot pasta recipes. All we know for sure is that he/she deserves a standing ovation for their efforts to save us time in the kitchen.
The fact is, we live in a world where instant gratification is the norm. It seems that many people want what they want, and they want it as quickly as possible, thank you very much.
As a result, we tend to look for recipes that will save us time. Either during the cooking time, in the clean-up afterward or both. Some of the best ways to do that are with sheet pan dinners and one-pot meals.
Speaking of sheet pan dinners… Have you seen the recipes for Sheet Pan Lemon Chicken and Sheet Pan Apple Chicken? Super tasty!
One Pot Sausage Pasta
The great news is, quick and easy One-Pot Sausage Pasta places a checkmark in all of those boxes! It’s a weeknight comfort food pasta dish that:
- is made in one pan
- cooks in less than 40 minutes, for instant gratification
- is extremely kid-friendly and delicious
What spaghetti sauce is best?
For this recipe you can use whatever pasta sauce is your favorite. We tend to look at the labels and choose sauces that are low in sugar. I love Rao’s marinara sauce when I’m in a pinch.
If we have enough time, we use our refined sugar free spaghetti sauce, ragu sauce or lasagna meat sauce. They are AMAZING and make simple recipes like these taste extra special.
How long does pasta take to cook?
Every pasta takes just a little different time to cook. Choosing whole wheat or traditional, large pasta or small, each require different times. I used a whole wheat penne pasta (Barilla brand) for this.
You can look at the back of the box to gauge cooking time, but note that you’ll need a little extra time since the pasta isn’t boiling in a large pot of water. Our pasta took a total of about 17 minutes to cook in this recipe. Normally it would take about 10 minutes to get to al dente.
Can you freeze sausage pasta?
Yes, you can freeze this one-pot pasta! Sausage pasta is very freezer-friendly. As a matter of fact, it makes fantastic meal prep lunches, too.
You will just need a few of the freezable meal prep containers; either glass or microwave safe BPA-free plastic.
Freezer Tip
After you make the sausage pasta, let it cool completely before you transfer it to freezable containers.Cooling food completely reduces the chance of condensation forming on the underside of the lid. If it’s left there, that moisture can drip onto the food, eventually causing freezer burn.
One-Pot Sausage Pasta
This sausage pasta recipe is super easy to make because everything cooks together in one pan. Our one-pot pasta recipe makes an easy, family favorite weeknight dinner. It’s freezer-friendly, too.
Servings 6
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage or spicy if you’d like
- ½ onion chopped (about ⅓ cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced (1 teaspoon minced)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 14.5 ounces petite diced tomatoes undrained
- 2 cups penne pasta* uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
- 16 ounces spaghetti sauce* about 2 cups
- salt and black pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese to garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm oil.
- Add in ground sausage, onions and garlic. Cook and stir until the sausage browns completely. Drain off any fat.
- Add in Italian seasoning, diced tomatoes with juice, dry pasta and chicken broth.
- Stir and allow to come to a gentle simmer over medium low heat.
- Cover the pan and let it cook covered for 8 minutes, then stir. Make sure the pasta is cooking and not sticking to the bottom of the pan. Cover again and let the pasta cook for an additional 4 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add in the spaghetti sauce. Stir and continue to cook uncovered over low to medium low heat until the pasta is cooked through (the mixture should be lightly boiling to finish cooking). Be sure to stir often so it doesn’t burn on the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from the heat. Top with Parmesan cheese, fresh basil leaves or parsley.
- Store any leftovers in the fridge.
Notes
*I used whole wheat pasta.
*I used Rao’s marinara sauce. *For more spice, add red pepper flakes. For more flavor, try adding fennel seed or oregano. Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks. The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 6, with 1 serving being ⅙ of the pasta. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
*I used Rao’s marinara sauce. *For more spice, add red pepper flakes. For more flavor, try adding fennel seed or oregano. Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks. The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 6, with 1 serving being ⅙ of the pasta. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 1085mg | Potassium: 834mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 548IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 4mg
I have made this meal SEVERAL times. My family loves it.
Question about your nutrition break down. What is the serving size?
Thank you!
My son absolutely loved this – he went back for thirds (he’s a skinny particular eater). It’s easy to make (it’s all in one pot, after all) and quick for a weeknight dinner. I didn’t have canned tomatoes, so I added a full jar of Rao’s instead. It was delicious.
I was able to cook this outside on a propane burner when local construction caused some unscheduled power outages. Thank you so much for suce an easy recipe!
I’m confused… am I supposed to just add dry pasta or does it need to be cooked first? Lol
This recipe turned out great! Thank you!