One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta Recipe with Video
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One Pot Sausage Pasta is a family favorite comfort food meal. A creamy, cheesy tomato basil sauce cooks right into the linguine pasta in this amazing Italian sausage pasta recipe! Toss everything in a pot and let it cook. It’s so easy, it just about cooks itself. Now that’s my kind of meal!
New recipes like this are a must for an easy weeknight dinner. Not only do pasta dishes fill up the bellies of the family, but it makes getting dinner on the dinner table a breeze!
And let’s not forget that a one-pot pasta recipe is perfect for fast and easy clean up, which is high on my list during a busy weeknight.
What I love about this easy pasta recipe is that there are actually a lot of different ways that you can make this dish.
You can add spicy Italian sausage, sweet Italian sausage, chopped onion, red pepper flakes, and anything else that you want to this delicious dinner.
Flavor it to be a win for the whole family and to make it the perfect hearty meal.
See the recipe card below for all the simple steps needed to make this sausage pasta skillet recipe. One of the best things about this recipe is that you might even have leftovers the next day!
Table of Contents
One Pot Sausage Pasta
I am constantly on the hunt for quicker and simpler ways to feed my family in a healthier way. 30-minute meals and one pot dinners are big around here.
Even Christmas dinner, which used to be an all-day affair, is now prepared in 30 minutes unless it’s made in a crockpot.
Oh, my heavens. This one pot pasta sausage is the perfect meal. Tomatoes, basil, ooey-gooey cheese, and sausage come together to create the perfect sauce for the linguine.
The best part? You literally toss all of the ingredients in a pot and everything cooks together. Add some fresh herbs and cheese at the end, then serve.
It is so flavorful that Chad and I ate two bowls each. Even Munchkin loved it, and I am sure you will too!
Recipe Video
Be sure to watch the video! Look for it in the recipe card, at the bottom of this post.
To see us make pasta with Italian sausage from start to finish, watch the video in this post!
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Linguine – You can substitute 1 pound of any dry pasta if needed. Fettucine and spaghetti are great options.
Just cook it to al dente… this Italian phrase means, “with a slight bite to it.” - Sausage – I prefer Italian sausage links, but you can use your favorite. This one pot sausage pasta recipe is truly flexible!
- Veggies – Use a yellow or sweet onion, whichever you have on hand, plus plenty of grape tomatoes.
Cherry tomatoes are a great swap, and a medley will add some extra color! - Fresh Basil – I always have plenty from my garden, but everyone may not have the same access.
You can always toss in baby spinach leaves, then season with dried basil to create a similar flavor. - Liquid – Water works just fine, but using chicken or beef broth will add an immense boost of flavor!
Tips and Tricks to Make Perfect Pasta with Italian Sausage
- Make prep a breeze!
All you need are 2 storage container lids to slice a handful of cherry tomatoes in half in seconds!
Simply place the tomatoes on one lid, then place the other lid on top. The lips should be facing each other.
Press down on one lid to hold everything in place, then run a serrated knife between the lids. Voila!
- Cook fresh sausage links first.
If they are from the deli section of the store (near the lunch meat), then all you have to do is slice them first.
But if your sausages are from the meat counter, there’s an extra step to this recipe! Toss them on the grill or smoker, or cook them in a pan on the stove.
Once they reach an internal temperature of 160-165°F, they’re done. Rest for a few minutes before slicing, then proceed with this Italian sausage pasta recipe.
- Grate a fresh wedge of Parmesan.
Trust me, it makes a HUGE difference in both flavor and texture. Pre-shredded parmesan tends to be waxy and a bit stiff — and please, don’t use the powdered stuff!
Instead, run fresh Parmesan over the smallest holes in your cheese grater (or use a microplane) for tiny, delicate shreds.
These will melt seamlessly into your one pot Italian sausage pasta in seconds, creating the perfect bite!
Prep Ahead
- Slice sausage and veggies
- Remove stems from basil leaves
- Peel and slice garlic cloves
- Shred parmesan cheese
Serving Suggestions
One pot Italian sausage pasta is a wonderful meal on its own, loaded with noodles, meat, and veggies.
Add some garlic bread or breadsticks to round out your plate, or extra roasted veggies to fill you right up!
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- 4 Quart Braising Pan – This is my favorite cookware to use for one-pot meals like this cheesy sausage pasta. The linguine fits completely inside without having to break it in half, so you can put the lid on.
- Tongs – I love this set of 3. I use every pair of them. They are so handy and grip amazingly well!
Storing and Reheating Italian Sausage Pasta
Allow the dish to cool, then transfer leftovers to an airtight container. Cheesy sausage pasta will keep for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Reheat pasta with Italian sausage on the stove over low to medium heat. Add a splash of water or broth for moisture, and stir frequently until evenly warmed.
One Pot Sausage Pasta FAQ
As long as the links are pre-cooked, you do not — that’s the beauty of one pot recipes!
You can, however, brown the sliced sausage in the pot before adding the rest of the ingredients. It adds a few minutes to the overall cooking time but is an easy way to deepen the flavor.
Sure! Bell peppers, mushrooms, and even zucchini would be tasty additions.
Just keep in mind that veggies cook at different rates, so you may need to toss them in halfway through cooking one pot sausage pasta instead of at the beginning.
This one pot Italian sausage pasta isn’t overly saucy, but there’s an easy fix for that!
Add a little extra liquid at the beginning so it’s nice and hot but not fully absorbed at the end. Then, toss in a few tablespoons of cream cheese and toss until melted.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Other One Pot Pasta Recipes
One Pot Cheesy Sausage Pasta Recipe with Video
Equipment
- dutch oven or other 6-8 quart pot
Ingredients
- 3 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half and divided
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 1 pound smoked Italian sausage links, precooked and sliced into coins
- 20-30 basil leaves, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 pound dry linguine, (See Notes)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 4 1/2 cups water, or beef or chicken broth
- 1 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Set aside 1 cup halved tomatoes, 10 basil leaves, and all of the Parmesan cheese.
- Combine remaining ingredients in a 12-inch braising pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, remove the cover and cook 7-9 minutes, or until pasta is al dente (with a bite to it). Toss pasta with tongs occasionally to keep the pasta from sticking. The liquid will be mostly absorbed when pasta is finished cooking.
- Add cheese and toss to combine. Cheese may clump at first, but will melt into the sauce after a few minutes. Toss in remaining tomatoes and basil before serving.
Video
Donna’s Notes
- Use your favorite sausage. I prefer Italian sausage links.
- You can substitute 1 pound of any type of dry pasta for the spaghetti. Linguine and fettucine are great options. Just be sure to cook the pasta to al dente (meaning, with a slight bite to it).
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published March 2014. Updated and republished January 2025
Disclosure: Posts may contain affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link your price will remain the same and The Slow Roasted Italian will automatically receive a small commission. Thank you for your support; it allows us to keep creating new recipes.
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We’re Donna and Chad, the dream team behind The Slow Roasted Italian. Our focus is on taking complicated OUT of the kitchen. Life is busy enough, making meals should be fast and easy, to help make your life as simple as possible. Read More >>
Picked up a pack of chicken sausages last week and they were sun-dried tomato flavored. So totally had to use it for this dish. It turned out wonderfully! Even without the basil (forgot to pick it up from the store). Served it with a tossed salad and toasted garlic bread.
OMG…thought we were back in Italy on vacation. This was so darn good! Did use hot Italian sausage that I pre cooked before the rest of the ingredients, but I will be making this again and again and again. Husband and adult son loved it immensely. Thank you sooooo much. Have entered my email to get on your list and following you now on Pinterest. Love, love, love your website.
Delish, but would use turkey keilbasa, much lower in fat and tasty
Kielbasa in an Italian Dish ? No!
Pre-cooked Italian perhaps!
I switched the pasta for spaghetti squash used turkey sausage and addded olives then baked it in my panini pot. I wander sure about the water since it was mainly for the pasta, but I added a quarter cup just to be cautious. So delicious!! I'm glad I bought enough to make it a second time ��
trying this one tonight. after a long day at work and tired of fast food, this might serve 2 a couple nights and lunch….
This looks SO good…. will be dinner tomorrow night! I do have one question though. I don't have fresh basil, so can I use the dried basil from my spice rack and if so, how much would you suggest? Sorry if it's a dumb question but I'm just getting into the swing of cooking. 😀
This dish quickly became a favourite for myself and the other half. As we've made it, I've tweaked the recipe a bit and thought I would share with others what we've done, just in case someone else is adventurous like me in the kitchen!
To start, we have never found good pre-cooked sausages, so we start with raw mild Italian sausages and brown them in the pan we use for the dish. I actually overcook them a little, ensuring they brown nicely before I coin them. Instead of wasting all that lovely flavour, I add a cup of white or cooking wine into the pan and let that set while I prep the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, onions, basil, etc). I then add a healthy sprinkling of red pepper flakes and a cube of chicken stock (the kind I buy uses one cube per two cups of water). Instead of adding the full amount of water as listed, I add the remainder, minus the cup of wine from earlier, combining all the ingredients in the pan as directed, following the remainder of the recipe as written.
There are some occasions where I'll add a spoonful or two of spaghetti sauce to really amp up the tomato flavour, but honestly, this dish does a great job of letting the cherry/grape tomatoes do all the flavouring for you! Also, we always use linguine, because it's our favourite.
I've wondered if perhaps adding some button mushrooms to this might make it even better, but even just following the recipe as is really does turn out beautifully. For those more adventurous, this is a great base recipe that you can add your own pizzazz to! Happy cooking, everyone!
Has anyone tried using the canned Italian flavored diced tomatoes instead of the cherry tomatoes and fresh basil?
could you also please put the quantities in metric for us Europeans?
I am not basil or spinach fan. Would broccoli work in this recipe?
No. The basil is what flavours the dish and broccoli would not lend a proper flavour to an italian-inspired dish.
Off to the grocery store now……after browsing the recipies I got hungry
I've made this several times and it's a household favorite. It doesn't make the greatest leftovers though. I've also made it just using dried basil and it is great!
Best dinner EVER!
One of my favorite recipes now. Everyone raves about it!
I made two alterations, for dietary reasons: uncooked Italian sausage and substitute cremini mushrooms for the onion. I cooked the sausage in the pot, removed it, and cooked the mushrooms in the sausage drippings. I followed the recipe as given after that. It was delicious and my whole family loved it!
Made this for dinner tonight with my 12 yr old and it was fantastic. We used the fully cooked and packaged chicken sausage over by tbe deli meat at the grocery store and one can of chicken broth and the rest water and it was fantastic.
Made this tonight with ground Italian sausage. I used two cans regular sized diced tomatoes, and 4 cups broth. Flavor was great, but sauce was a little thin. Definitely a keeper!
This recipe is Amazing. My Family enjoyed it so much. So easy to make. Thanks so much
Hi Sheila,
We are so happy to hear your family enjoyed it! Thank you for the star rating! Enjoy your day.
TSRI Team Member,
Holli
Has anyone figured out how to do this in a slow cooker?
I made this using regular Italian sausage and low sodium beef broth in place of the water. I had a couple of bell peppers that I chopped and tossed in for the last few minutes. It was delicious!
This was absolutely delicious and so easy to make! My family loved it.