Creamy Kielbasa Pasta

A quick and simple one pot Creamy Kielbasa Pasta recipe. Featuring kielbasa sausage tossed with tender noodles and covered in a rich cream sauce!

You may also love my cream cheese pasta and smoked sausage cajun alfredo.

If you need a dinner that comes together in one pot with almost no effort, this is it. Kielbasa pasta is one of those recipes that feels like more work than it actually is. You get a creamy, filling meal on the table in about 30 minutes, and the cleanup is minimal.

Kielbasa sausage has been a staple in our house for years. I grew up eating it in everything from soups to simple skillet dinners. When we developed this recipe, we wanted something straightforward enough for a weeknight but satisfying enough to actually look forward to. It delivers on both.

This one-pot meal features sauteed onions and spiced sausage tossed with al dente penne noodles covered in a delicious cream sauce. When it comes to simplicity, it doesn’t get much easier than this.

You can make everything in one pot and it’s done in about 30-minutes. Similar to our Italian sausage and tomato linguine, this recipe is also budget friendly and perfect for small and large households alike.

For another creamy, comforting pasta dinner the whole family will ask for on repeat, my slow cooker creamy chicken pasta is as hands-off as it gets on a busy weeknight.

If you love the smoky, savory flavors of sausage in this dish, my Instant Pot sausage and chicken jambalaya is another one-pot recipe that brings all that bold Cajun comfort to the table fast.

How to Make a Simple Kielbasa Pasta

Tips for the Best Creamy Kielbasa Pasta

• Not everyone is a fan of sausage. Now worries. You can always use pre-cooked chicken or hamburger meat in place of the salty links.
• If you’d prefer, you can replace the cream cheese with tomato sauce or marinara.
• Egg noodles can be substituted for the penne pasta. However, you’ll need to reduce the cook time, otherwise they’ll be too soft.

A Few Notes Before You Get Started

The recipe as written is intentionally simple. The sausage adds a lot of the flavor (salt and smokiness), and the cream cheese keeps things rich and creamy. But if you want more flavor, a pinch of garlic powder, smoked paprika, or red pepper flakes stirred in with the pasta works great. Start small. You can always add more. Some readers have also added a clove or two of minced fresh garlic at the start with the onions, and it makes a noticeable difference.

For the cream cheese, cut it into small cubes before it goes in. If you have a few extra minutes, let it sit at room temperature while the pasta cooks. It melts into the sauce much more smoothly that way. If it still looks clumpy, add a small splash of the hot broth from the pot and keep stirring. It will come together.

For leftovers, add a splash of broth or water before reheating. Low heat on the stove works best, but the microwave on half power does the job too. Without that extra liquid, the sauce gets thick fast.

Creamy Kielbasa Pasta

5 from 1 vote

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Author: John Vargo

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon oil, canola, olive, vegetable, etc.
• 13 ounces kielbasa sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces
• ½ cup thinly sliced white onion
• 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta, or any short pasta
• 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 ½ cups water
• 8 ounces block-style cream cheese, cut into cubes

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Instructions

 

• Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the oil, sausage, and onion. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the sausage begins to brown and the onions soften.
  1 tablespoon oil

  13 ounces kielbasa sausage

  ½ cup thinly sliced white onion
• Add the noodles, broth, and water. Stir to combine.
  8 ounces uncooked penne pasta

  1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth

  1 ½ cups water
• Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and continue to cook for 12 to 14 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure the noodles don’t stick together.
Don’t let all the liquid cook away. There needs to be a little residual liquid in the bottom of the pan to mix with the cream cheese.
• After the noodles are cooked to al dente or to your liking, add the cream cheese. Stir until the cream cheese is melted and thoroughly combined.
  8 ounces block-style cream cheese
• Serve hot. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Notes

• The serving size is 2 cups of pasta. Actual calories will vary.

Nutrition

Serving: 2CupsCalories: 502kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 16gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 880mgPotassium: 310mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 509IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 59mgIron: 1mg