Cheesy, creamy, spicy and savory this one pan midweek supper has it all going for it! Prepare yourself to fall in love because this quick and simple recipe is destined to become a favorite!
Not only that, but it is sized for two to three eaters (two if they are hearty eaters),or one with leftovers to heat up the next day.
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I am a huge fan of one pan cooking. If I can cook an entire meal on one sheet pan or in a skillet, then I am all for it!
No fuss, no muss, that's my favorite way to cook these days! I had enough of fussy cooking when I cooked at the manor, and now that there is just me in my house to feed, I am cutting all of my tried and true recipes back to feed just one or two.
No worries however because all of them can be doubled or even tripled to serve more people than just two.
With its savory smoked sausage and creamy cheesy sauce, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers and onions, this one pan pleaser is destined to become a meal that you will want to put on repeat in your kitchen.
Not only is it delicious, but it is also very simple, quick and easy to make, using simple every day ingredients. There is nothing too out of the ordinary here.
Today I have used Polish Kielbasa sausage because that is what I had in my refrigerator, but you can use any smoked sausage that you enjoy.
HOW TO MAKE ONE PAN CHEESY SAUSAGE PASTA
This is so quick and easy to make. A real doddle.
You need to begin by heating a bit of light olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. I use the light olive oil, which just means that it is lighter in color than regular extra virgin olive oil. This is what I used for all of my cooking. Save the EVO for dishes that don't require cooking like salads and salad dressings.
Add your onions, mushrooms, peppers and smoked sausage to the hot oil. Its not a lot of oil really, basically it is just enough to coat the bottom of your pan and keep things from sticking.
You don't want to brown these things, just soften them without coloring them. If you want your smoked sausage browned, then add it first and brown it before adding the vegetables.
You don't have to use smoked sausage with this if you don't want to. Crumbled normal sausage meat works just fine. Just slip it out of the skins and crumble it into the pan. You can even use minced steak or turkey if that is what you would rather have.
All work very well. You could even leave meat out altogether and add extra vegetables making this a great vegetarian option. Or you can use flaked tuna or salmon.
Once your vegetables have softened you add some garlic. Two cloves, but that is certainly not set in stone. If you are not a huge fan of garlic, cut the amount in half.
This is cooked just long enough to soften it and make everything really fragrant and then you add in everything else but the cheese.
I know that there is no such thing as a can of chopped tomatoes that is only one cup in size, but don't worry about that. You can freeze the rest of the can to use another time. They freeze really well, and you can actually make a wonderful tomato soup for one using the other half of the can of tomatoes.
I use stock powder for things like this where I am only going to need a little bit. Its just more efficient and cost conscious, because I can spoon out only as much as I need. I am sure you can use other pastas if you wanted to, but I have only ever used elbow macaroni.
Once you bring the mixture to the boil then you can just reduce it to a slow simmer and walk away. No need to cover it. The macaroni cooks right in the liquid. I do like to stir it a few times to make sure it isn't sticking to the pan.
Once your pasta is tender, then stir in half of the cheese, let it melt, scatter the remaining cheese over top, cover and let it sit for five minutes, covered. That way the cheese melts nicely over top and you have something ooey and gooey to bring to the table.
I'll be honest I never add any salt to this. I find it just salty enough. Cheese itself is quite a salty ingredient, and then the smoked sausage is a bit salty as well. If I add anything at all it is pepper, because I do love lots of pepper.
This goes excellently with some crusty bread and a tossed green salad on the side. Nothing could be easier. A delicious one pan meal, which is hearty and filling and that goes together in a flash. What more could a person ask for!
One Pan Cheesy Sausage Pasta
Yield: 3
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
This quick and easy supper dish is made all in one pan for a no fuss no muss mid-week meal! Its delicious and one of my favorite things to make!
Ingredients
- 1/2 TBS light olive oil
- 1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced (I used light kielbasa)
- 1 small onion, peeled and diced
- 6 medium fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced
- 1/3 of a red pepper, trimmed and chopped (optional)
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 cup (240ml) chicken stock
- 1 cup (160g) canned diced tomatoes in juice
- 1/4 cup (60ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (115g) dry macaroni
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (120g) grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium sized deep skillet. Add the onions, mushrooms, peppers and sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook for one minute.
- Stir in the tomatoes, stock, milk, pasta and seasoning. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Cook over low for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Stir in 1/2 of the cheese until it melts. Scatter the remaining cheese over top.
- Cover and let stand for 5 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.
I am with you on the one pan dinners. My favourites are the ones done in the oven as you don't have to watch them - ha, ha! I can be lazy sometimes :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a terrific family dinner. I'm having pasta today from another of your recipes, but will pencil this in to try out next week. I don't ever buy elbow macaroni, so I'd probably use fusilli.