A quick and simple one pot Creamy Kielbasa Pasta recipe. Featuring kielbasa sausage tossed with tender noodles and covered in a rich cream sauce!
Kielbasa sausage has been a household favorite for quite awhile. In fact, I grew up eating it in a variety of dishes like bean soup.
Recently, Kim used it to create her Instant Pot kielbasa and sauerkraut recipe. For today's offering, she decided to make it into a pasta dish.
This one-pot meal features sauteed onions and spiced sausage tossed with al dente penne noodles covered in a creamy 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.
How to make a simple kielbasa pasta:
First, grab a large stock pot or saucepan and place it over medium heat. Add in the oil, kielbasa sausage, and sliced onions.
Next, allow the mixture to cook for about 5-minutes or until the onions soften and sausage begins to crisp.
After that, carefully pour in the chicken broth, water, and pasta noodles.
Then, stir everything to prevent sticking. Let the liquid come to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.
Now, cover the pot and let the noodles cook for about 13-minutes. Be sure to stir things from time to time to keep the noodles from sticking together.
Also, keep an eye on the liquid because you don't want all the liquid to boil out. If it does, you won't have enough broth to create the sauce.
Afterward, when the pasta is done to your liking, add the cream cheese. Stir all the ingredients together to create a tasty, creamy sauce.
Last, turn off the heat and serve. Feel free to garnish the kielbasa pasta with chopped parsley or Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Tips:
- 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.
Recipe Card with Ingredient Amounts and Instructions
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil, canola, olive, vegetable, etc.
- 13 ounces kielbasa sausage, sliced into bite-sized pieces (one large link)
- ½ cup white onion, thinly sliced (about 1 medium sized)
- 8 ounces penne pasta, or any short pasta, dry
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, low-sodium
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, cut into cubes
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 oil13 ounces kielbasa sausage½ cup white onion
- Add the noodles, broth, and water. Stir to combine.8 ounces penne pasta1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth1 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.1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
- Serve hot. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Anne D says
Great, easy recipe which was even enjoyed by our toddler. I added red and green bell peppers and a blend of spices: salt, smoked paprika, garlic, cayenne and black pepper. I’m going to save this one!
John says
Thank you Anne! The peppers and spice blend sound like awesome additions. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe card. Have a lovely day 🙂
T says
Great recipe..added bell pepper and red pepper flakes with a little sour cream. Thank you for sharing!! Yummy
John says
Thank you T! Kim and I are thrilled you enjoyed the kielbasa pasta. Have a lovely day 🙂
Liz Bermingham says
Can you add a bit of fresh spinach to this?
John says
Absolutely, stir the washed fresh spinach into the pasta right at end (just before serving). If you add it in while the pasta cooks, it could overcook and become slimy. Thank you for your question, Liz. Have a lovely day 🙂
Idi says
Very easy to put together on a busy weeknight! But definitely a recipe for milder palates. We added salt and crushed red pepper, a handful of of grated parmesan cheese. It was good!
Kimberly says
We're glad you enjoyed the pasta dish. Those sound like tasty additions! Thanks for coming back to comment, and we hope you have a wonderful evening! 🙂
Danielle says
We made this tonight and my husband loved it! I will say I thought it more on the mild side, so next time I'll play a little with the recipe by trying 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes while it simmered to give it a little more kick. This is going into our favorites! Thanks!
Kimberly says
Hi Danielle!
We're so glad you and your family enjoyed the pasta! Red pepper flakes would be a great addition and add just enough heat. Thanks so much for coming back to comment. Have a wonderful week! 🙂
Hollie says
What an easy, simple, but delicious meal! Thank you! I will make this again.