A great 30 minute one pan spicy sausage pasta casserole that is simple with these easy to follow step by step photo instructions.
Editor's Note: Originally Published September 28, 2013. Updated with expanded discussion and options along with re-edited photos.
A skinny version of an American Test Kitchen Spicy Sausage Pasta recipe (subscription required) from their The Best Simple Recipes cookbook.
I lowered the fat by using turkey sausage and substituted low-fat sour cream for the heavy cream. I just can not bring myself to use something called heavy cream.
My Rating:
High 4 or low 5.
Pro Tips: Recipe Notes for 30-Minute Spicy Sausage Pasta
Start with some cut up sausage of your choice. Brown the sausage with some onion. Add chicken broth, RoTel, sour cream, and spices. Bring to a boil and add uncooked pasta. Simmer until pasta is tender. Mix in a little cheese. Top with more cheese and brown under a broiler. You are in taste bud heaven.
What Sausage to Use?
I just routinely use turkey sausage. Great taste and lower fat. No need for an unhealthy choice.
But use the sausage of your choice. The original ATK recipe called for chorizo. I prefer the precooked smoked sausage. You can even use bulk Italian sausage and break it up when you brown it.
Do I have to use Rotel?
No just substitute diced tomatoes. But it may be a little bland so add some spices if you want. Also, if you use the tomatoes, drain them and a 15 oz can will be about the amount in the 10.5 oz Rotel can.
The Pasta
One thing I like about this recipe is cooking the pasta with the spicy liquid. I think too many recipes have you cook pasta and then cook it again in the dish. That is why a lot of dishes have pasta the texture of a school lunch. You deserve more.
I just happen to use bowtie pasta here but use the dry pasta that you have and cook until tender in the dish.
What Cheese to Use
I like Monterey cheese here but use the cheese that you want. You will need 1 to ½ cups shredded of the cheese of your choice. To keep this skinny, use a lower fat cheese like a 2% or lower fat. I never recommend using fat-free cheese. Yuck.
How Spicy is It?
This was 6/10 spicy already. If you are spicy adverse(AKA wimpy), replace the RoTel with a can of diced tomatoes and drain the liquid.
Other Casseroles to Try
Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage
Spicy Parmesan Chicken Alfredo
Preheat 1 ½ teaspoons oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-safe the pan. (Opps, picture with regular sour cream but low fat was used)
Chop one medium onion and 1 pound of sausage of your choice into ¼ inch medallions. I used Butterball Smoked Sausage.
Add the onion and sausage to the pan. Cook until onion is clearing nicely and sausage is browning. About 5 minutes. Add two cloves of minced garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
Add 1 - 14 oz can chicken broth, 1 - 10 ½ oz can RoTel, ½ cup sour cream, ½ t salt, and ½ t pepper. Mix well. Add 8 oz.(2 cups) of dry pasta of your choice.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then decrease the heat to low: cover and simmer. Stir occasionally and cook until pasta is tender — about 15 minutes. If you are approaching the endpoint for the pasta and too much fluid is present, uncover and increase heat to medium-high for the last few minutes.
Add ½ cup of shredded cheese of your choice and mix in.
Sprinkle 1 cup of shredded cheese on top.
Place under broiler until cheese is melted and browning some.
Garnish with chopped green onions if desired.
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30 Minute Spicy Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound sausage - of choice - I used turkey smoked sausage
- 1 onion - medium chopped
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 2 cloves garlic - minced or crushed
- 14 oz chicken broth - Low Sodium
- 10.5 oz RoTel
- ½ cup low fat sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 8 oz dry pasta - of choice
- 1 ½ cup shredded cheese - I like Monterey for this
- 2 green onion - sliced to garnish optional
Instructions
- Preheat two teaspoons oil over medium-high heat in a large oven safe pan.
- Chop one medium onion and 1 pound of sausage of your choice into ¼ inch medallions. I used Butterball Smoked Sausage.
- Add the onion and sausage to the pan. Cook until onion is clearing nicely and sausage is browning. About 5 minutes.
- Add two cloves of minced garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
- Add 1 – 14 oz can low sodium chicken broth, 1 – 10 ½ oz can RoTel, ½ cup low fat sour cream, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Add 8 oz.(2 cups) of dry pasta of your choice.
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat then decrease heat to low. Cover and simmer. Stir occasionally and cook until pasta is tender. About 15 minutes but depends on your pasta. If you are approaching the end point for the pasta and too much fluid is present, uncover and increase heat to medium-high for the last few minutes.
- Add ½ cup of shredded cheese and mix in. Sprinkle 1 cup of the cheese on top.
- Place under broiler until cheese is melted and browning some.
- Garnish with chopped green onions if desired.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- This is an easy recipe to modify to your taste. Use the sausage, pasta and cheese of your choice.
- If you don't want spicy, substitute a can of drained diced tomatoes for the Rotel.
- tI like to use precooked turkey sausage but use the sausage of your choice. You can even use bulk sausage as long as you brown it.
- Use the cheese of your choice, also. I suspect most will use a cheddar but I like Monterey for this. Even mozzarella would be good. To decrease fat, you can use a 2% milk cheese. Please do not use non-fat cheese.
- Good refrigerated for 3-4 days and will freeze well for 3-4 months.
Nutrition
Originally Published September 28, 2013
Karen
I made this tonight with spicy sausage casings off and broken up. It was awesome! My daughter and I both loved it! I googled based on what I had in the fridge and how lucky I was to find this recipe. I have it saved to favorites and will definitely make again.
DrDan
Hi Karen,
Welcome to the blog.
I really need to rewrite and redo the photos for this recipe but glad it worked well for you. I won't be changing the recipe since I do really like the results.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Dawn
Delish! It's now on our "most played" recipes rotation.
DrDan
Hi Dawn,
Welcome to the blog and sorry about the delayed response.
This is a very tasty recipe but very dependent on the sausage. It doesn't get much attention so it is on my list to update and republishe.
Thanks for the note and Happy New Years.
Dan
Jon Eric
Doc! Another favorite of mine; this recipe and the have been my after-work go-to's for a while now. Quick, easy, and of course, delicious. Thanks for the 30 minute recipes!
Jon Eric
I'm terrible with the HTML. This recipe is great, too: https://www.101cookingfortwo.com/cheese-jambalaya/
Eric
Made this one tonight (with the diced tomatoes) and it turned out great! I went ahead and mixed in all of the cheese which made the presentation a little less impressive but it also made the sauce really creamy which was great. Will definitely make again soon!
DrDan
Thanks for the note Eric. I think I will do this again tonight.
Eric
Made this again tonight (I've made it a few times in the last year, it's my wife's second favorite recipe behind the oven filet on this site), and one tip is that for leftovers the next day if you heat it up in a pan on the stove and mix in some more cheese it's almost as good as the day before.
DrDan
Thanks for the idea and the comment.
Dan
Michelle
This is on the stove cooking, as I type this... I can't wait to try it. My 6 yr old son chose this for dinner tonight. :)
DrDan
It is a little spice for a 6 yr. old. But I loved the taste...
Dan
Colleen Smith
This sounds delicious. I was at BJ's and bought some Hillshire Farms Turkey Kielbasa. Of course there were three packages in one bundle. I fried some up for dinner with some potatoes for my husband and I and froze the other two. I was looking for something different for this sausage and this looks like it will fit the bill.