This Kielbasa Pasta is a Cheesy One Pot meal that is ready in just 30 minutes for the best weeknight dinner. It's filled with flavor from the smoky sausage and roasted red peppers to the creamy penne pasta!
I'm all about a one pot meal and this Kielbasa is all that and more! It's so easy to make with just a little chopping and cooks all in the dutch oven for a quick dinner!
This one pot pasta dish is a favorite on busy weeknights in our home. Serve it with a loaf of French bread, or air fryer garlic bread and a simple salad, like this Arugula and Spinach Salad.
If you love sausage recipes, add this Cajun Shrimp and Sausage Pasta and Chicken Chorizo Paella to your weekly meal plan!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- Quick. This pasta recipe is quick to make in just 30 minutes with little prep.
- Easy. A simple recipe that requires the skills of just a beginner cook. Plus, the kielbasa comes fully cooked in the package, so you don't need to worry about undercooked meat in this recipe.
- One Pot. Everything is cooked in one pot for an easy meal with little clean up (My favorite kind of dinner).
- Protein Packed. Sausage and cheese add protein to this recipe. If you choose turkey kielbasa, it has less fat for a healthier choice.
For more of my favorite one pot dinners, try this Marry Me Chicken Tortellini, Honey Sriracha Shrimp, TikTok French Onion Pasta, and Broccoli Orzo.
Ingredients:
Kielbasa: Sometimes called "polish sausage", Kielbasa is a fully cooked smoked product that you can easily find at the grocery store near the hotdogs. It's traditionally pork or a combo of pork and beef, but I used turkey for this recipe because it's a bit lower in fat. All of them are delicious, so use what you prefer. The pork and beef ends up a bit more juicy at the end because of the higher fat content.
Roasted Red Peppers: Bring in a smoky flavor, without any extra heat, and pairs really well with Kielbasa.
Heavy Cream and Chicken Stock: Form the creamy sauce that also cooks the pasta. I highly recommend chicken stock versus chicken broth for a richer flavor.
Parmesan Cheese: Melts into the sauce for a salty nutty taste. I recommend parmesan reggiano for this recipe and to grate it nice and fine for the best melt.
Pasta: Cooks right in the sauce for an al dente, meaning firm when bitten into, texture. It gets a little heat from the smoky sausage and is creamy, cheesy, and delish!
*Full recipe ingredients and quantities can be found in the recipe card below.
Substitutions and Variations:
The turkey kielbasa can be substituted with traditional pork or pork and beef Kielbasa. If there is a lot of extra grease in the pan, drain a bit before adding in the onions.
Instead of roasted red peppers, bell pepper can be diced and cooked along with the onions.
I don't recommend using chicken broth rather than chicken stock. It has less flavor.
The penne pasta can be substituted with any pasta in similar size like fusilli, rotini, etc.
How to Make Kielbasa Pasta:
Step 1: Slice the kielbasa on an angle into 1 inch pieces.
Step 2: In a large dutch oven or pot with cover oven medium heat, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the kielbasa slices into the pan in an even layer. Sauté for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove kielbasa sausage to a plate and reduce the heat to medium low.
Step 3: Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss in onions and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add in a splash, about 2 tablespoons, of the chicken stock, and stir with wooden spoon scraping up the brown bits from the kielbasa. Cook for 2 minutes to soften the onions, stirring frequently. Add in the garlic.
Step 4: Pour in the dried pasta, remaining chicken stock, then heavy cream. Stir well, cover and cook for 12 minutes, stirring halfway through and making sure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Step 5: Toss in the kielbasa and roasted red peppers. Stir and cover for 2 minutes.
Step 6: Turn off the heat. Sprinkle in the cheese and stir with wooden spoon until melted.
Step 7: Top with fresh parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Expert Tips:
- Shred the parmesan cheese from a block for the best melt and do not use bagged cheese. Pre-packaged shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that don't allow the cheese to melt as well.
- The kielbasa should read already cooked on the package and we are just searing both sides for the texture.
- Make sure to stir the pasta halfway through cooking. I like to use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the dutch oven because the pasta loves to stick and wood won't scratch like metal will.
- If you use pork or beef kielbasa, you may need to drain a bit of the grease out of the pot before sautéing the onion. Turkey doesn't have as much fat, so it's not necessary to drain the fat because there won't be much.
For more Pasta Dinner Ideas, try this Creamy Chorizo Pasta, Ground Chicken Pasta Sauce, Lazy Lasagna and Creamy Chicken and Noodles.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! A full 12 ounce turkey kielbasa has roughly 72 grams of protein. Split that into 4 people and it's about 18 grams per serving.
This recipe really tastes best fresh and served right away because of the cream sauce.
Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add back into the skillet on low heat with a splash of chicken stock. Cover and cook, stirring frequently until hot.
More One Pot Dinners You Will Love:
If you tried this Kielbasa Pasta Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
PrintRecipe
Kielbasa Pasta
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Kielbasa Pasta is a Cheesy One Pot meal that is ready in just 30 minutes for the best weeknight dinner. It's filled with flavor from the smoky sausage and roasted red peppers to the creamy pasta!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounce turkey kielbasa (or pork), packaged and fully cooked in package
- 1 cup yellow onion, diced small
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 3 cups dry penne pasta
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces jarred roasted red peppers, remove some of the juice and roughly chopped into pieces
- 1 cup parmesan cheese from the block, finely shredded
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
Instructions
- Slice the kielbasa on an angle into 1 inch pieces.
- In a large dutch oven or pot with cover oven medium heat, add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the kielbasa slices into the pan in an even layer. Sauté for 2 minutes, then flip and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove kielbasa sausage to a plate and reduce the heat to medium low.
- Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Toss in onions and salt and pepper and stir to combine. Add in a splash, about 2 tablespoons, of the chicken stock, and stir with wooden spoon scraping up the brown bits from the kielbasa. Cook for 2 minutes to soften the onions, stirring frequently. Add in the garlic.
- Pour in the dried pasta, remaining chicken stock, then heavy cream. Stir well, cover and cook for 12 minutes, stirring halfway through and making sure the pasta isn't sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Toss in the kielbasa and roasted red peppers. Stir and cover for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Sprinkle in the cheese and stir with wooden spoon until melted.
- Top with fresh parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- Shred the parmesan cheese from a block for the best melt and do not use bagged cheese. Pre-packaged shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that don't allow the cheese to melt as well.
- The kielbasa should read already cooked on the package and we are just searing both sides for the texture.
- Make sure to stir the pasta halfway through cooking. I like to use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the dutch oven because the pasta loves to stick and wood won't scratch like metal will.
- If you use pork or beef kielbasa, you may need to drain a bit of the grease out of the pot before sautéing the onion. Turkey doesn't have as much fat, so it's not necessary to drain because there won't be much fat in the pan, if any.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Robert
The easiest one pot meal & delish! Thanks for the recipe.
Tara Smithson
Thanks so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.