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This original recipe for Spicy Sausage Pasta is one of our most popular Pinterest recipes! It’s easily one of the best pasta recipes on our entire site, and you HAVE to try it.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Spicy Sausage Pasta

My absolute favorite dinners are the easy weeknight kind. The kind that can be whipped up in thirty minutes or less from start to finish and only mess up one dish. And of course, they need to knock-my-socks-off with flavor as well! I am so in love with this spicy, creamy, cheesy pasta for all of those reasons. It is just packed with so many incredible flavors. It’s one of our new favorites — I make it all the time because it’s so yummy and easy!

Spicy Sausage Pasta - The Best Simple Recipes Cookbook

This amazing Spicy Sausage Pasta dish is one of my favorite recipes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Best Simple Recipes from America’s Test Kitchens. It’s filled with over 200 recipes for quick and easy dinners that can be ready in thirty minutes or less. Perfect. I’ve gotten so many new dinner recipes for us from this cookbook. And since it’s from America’s Test Kitchens, you know that every single recipe is tried, true, and to-die-for. They even conduct blind taste-testings and tell you what brand of whatever ingredient they’re using is the best. I love stuff like that.

Ingredients for Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Spicy Sausage Pasta Ingredients

So let me tell you about this Spicy Sausage Pasta. It basically completes me. Take a look at all these yummy ingredients. Nothing too out of the ordinary here.

Best sausage for Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Sausage

First things first — the sausage. I am a huge fan of smoked sausage, and I am completely, head over heels, bowled over by this Butterball Turkey Sausage. The first time we tried it I thought, there’s no way that this is turkey sausage. There’s no way it has half the calories and fat of regular smoked sausage. There’s no way. Because it tastes just like regular smoked sausage — the full-fat, full-calorie kind that I used to buy all the time. I just don’t see how it’s possible that this sausage can have all the yummy, juicy flavors of regular smoked sausage with only half the fat and calories. But it only took one bite to convince me.  We’ve been buying this turkey sausage exclusively for a few months now, and I will never go back to regular smoked sausage again. You guys know since I tend to go a little crazy when I’m traveling, I like to cut back on the fat and calories when I’m home! But flavor absolutely comes first. I love that I can have both with this sausage.

Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

How To Make Spicy Sausage Pasta

So first, add a little olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking.

Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Add the sausage.

Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

And the onions.

Frozen onions for Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Frozen Diced Onions

Here’s my little secret. I buy frozen, diced onions by the bag and add them to whatever I’m cooking that calls for diced onions — I don’t even thaw them first. It’s such a huge time saver for me, and I always know I have onions on hand.

Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Oh my gosh. Nothing smells more fabulous that this right here. Cook the sausage and onion until lightly browned. Then we’ll add some garlic and cook until fragrant, about thirty seconds.

Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

No Need to Boil the Pasta!

Next add the dried pasta — this is so easy! — I love that I don’t have to boil the pasta in a separate pan. I normally use penne pasta for this dish, but this fun campanelle pasta was all I had on hand at the moment, so I used it.

Dump in some Ro-Tel, you don’t even have to drain it first.

And the chicken broth.

Chicken broth for Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Our Favorite Chicken Broth

This is another brand that I love. We use chicken broth so often that I always have a few boxes on hand — an open one in the fridge and a few in the pantry. I about fainted when I tried this one for the first time. It smells so amazing! I stumbled upon this organic brand because, well, in an effort to cut back on my sugar intake, I discovered that the brand I was previously using was full of sugar! Sugar!! Like, it was the second ingredient. In my chicken broth! Now I love sugar, but it has no place in chicken broth. It’s funny how much sugar is hidden in foods that aren’t sweet, especially when I went looking for it. Yikes! Anyway, as much as I loved my old brand of chicken broth, I can honestly say I love this new one so much more. It’s nothing but pure, natural flavors — exactly how chicken broth is supposed to be. I get this in the organic section of Kroger.

Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Add the cream and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Stir everything together and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and and simmer for 15 minutes.

Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Now for the finishing, cheesy touch. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Top with a little more cheese to cover, sprinkle with sliced scallions, and broil in the oven until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 3 minutes.

Spicy Sausage Pasta — Best Pinterest Recipes!

Like this.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Oh my gosh you guys, this is so fabulous. Ultra cheesy — Ultra gooey — Ultra yummy.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

Watch the video to see how easy it is to make Spicy Sausage Pasta!

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Image of Spicy Sausage Pasta

Spicy Sausage Pasta

  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Dinner
  • Method: Stove
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This original recipe for Spicy Sausage Pasta is one of our most popular Pinterest recipes! It’s easily one of the best pasta recipes on our entire site, and you HAVE to try it.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb smoked sausage
  • 1.5 cups diced onion
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 8 oz penne pasta
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
  • 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Instructions

 

  1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
  3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

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657 Responses
  1. Nikki

    I can’t believe I have never reviewed this recipe, because over the years we have made this recipe SO many times! It’s my teen boys favorite recipe, to the point where I’m almost having to double the recipe for them! I always just brown up a pound of Italian sausage, because that’s all I had when I originally made it but it’s soooo good! Great quick, easy weeknight dinner! 10/10!






    1. Lindsay

      Same here! I’ve been making it since my kids were babies, they’re almost 10 now! It’s one of our favorite recipes. It was actually the meal that made me realize I loved turkey sausage, I never really cared for pork sausage so I wrote it off completely until I tried this. They have so many amazing recipes but this is hands down the best!

  2. Lori

    I’ve made this dozens of times -so good. First of all, no way does this make 4 servings. You eat 1/2 while it’s in the pan. I always just use a Dutch oven and double the recipe. Most of the time I double everything but the sausage part. As for the cheese, I don’t bother with the broiler. I just dump it in the pan after the noodles are cooked and mix it in. While Rotel is a little spicy, using the mild isn’t overly so. And I don’t like anything too hot. I’ve tried it with just diced tomatoes but it was missing the chili flavoring of Rotel. It was good but not like using the Rotel.






  3. Kathryn

    This was straight up ? BOMB!!!! I used fresh tomatoes instead of Canned and slap ya mama Kasian seasoning and I added a slice of butter! This meal was off the hook!






  4. Janice

    I substituted mild Italian sausage for the smoked sausage since that’s what I had on hand. I don’t know how it tastes with smoked sausage, but the flavor with the Italian sausage is excellent. Other than that substitution, followed the recipe. So simple and so flavorful. Made it for guests and now it’s one of their favorite recipes too.






  5. Lexine Ross

    This is one of the very first recipes that got my interested in cooking. It was simple, easy delicious, and got my parents who dislike pasta to eat it up! I used to make this all the time during my early 20s. Thanks to metabolism slowing down six years later I took a break from my pasta dishes. Can’t wait to make this again this weekend. Always a hit!! I had some additional seasoning/aromatics with whatever I got on hand.






  6. Jessica

    Used to make this recipe all the time! I started doing keto a couple years ago and was missing this dish! Used frozen cauliflower florets as a sub for the pasta and it’s utterly amazing!!!!






  7. Barb McLeod

    I’ve been making this special recipe for many years now. My family absolutely LOVES it. It has so many flavors in it. Serve with a salad and you’re done. One pot, easy to make, easy clean up. Unfortunately we never have any leftovers. I do have a couple picky eaters who don’t care for chunks of tomatoes so I use a small blender and blend the tomatoes and chilies before adding. I’ve given this recipe to so many people and they also give rave reviews to me.






  8. Brianna

    I rarely write recipe reviews (even though I heavily rely on them to decide if a recipe is worth making ?). I discovered this recipe on Pinterest well over 5 years ago and it is STILL a family favorite I make 2+ times a month. I have two picky boys (5 & 10) who would solely survive on pizza, chicken nuggets, burgers and mac and cheese if I let them that will DEVOUR this meal every time I make it! 10/10 in our book for sure!!






  9. MJ

    I didn’t have Monterrey jack so I mixed ricotta and cayenne and ancho pepper into sauce Used 1/2 c broth and 1/2 c spaghetti sauce

  10. Melissa F Campos

    I’ve been making this dish for years, per the recipe specifications, & it’s always a hit. Creamy, rich, decadent, smokey, cheesy, spicy. It’s got it all!
    Pair it with some crusty garlic bread & a side salad for a totally WOW meal. This is definitely one of my go-to knock-your-socks off recipes to impress family & guests. Great for potlucks too if you keep it warm & gooey.






  11. Lesley

    Love this dish! I make it almost once a week. The only things I change are using 1/2c onions and Turkey smoked sausage, because I am not a huge fan of onions. Otherwise I make it as listed. So tasty!






  12. fantazc

    My family LOVES this recipe and I would like to make it for a friend. Any tips on making it ahead of time? I was going to do everything but put it under the broiler but I didn’t know if you, or anyone here, had a suggestion on how to reheat it in the oven without drying it out?
    Any tips would be greatly appreciated!
    Thank you SO MUCH for sharing what is now my family’s favorite meal!






  13. Jessica Castles

    I’ve made this many many times with sausage (always a family favorite)! I’m looking to use chicken this time around. Any thoughts on how to prepare?






    1. Stephanie M Holts

      cut up a pound to pound of a half of chicken and shake with your seasoning choices (cajun for instance 1 tablespoon) in a big baggie with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and shake. Then pour in your “one pan” and cook on medium about 10 minutes flipping. then add other ingredients.

  14. Renee

    This is my second recipe review EVER and I am 56yrs. old. This was a VERY tasty quick, one pot meal that I made today. I followed this recipe exactly as written and it turned out mighty tasty for sure. My only problem with the whole thing was that it wasn’t spicy enough for me. However, this is SO versatile and excellent as a base recipe . After my first bowl I sprinkled some Tony Chachere’s Original Creole seasoning on my second bowl and it was even better. Of course I will be making this again but I will add peas, broccoli or green peppers to it for a veggie flair as well as my Tony C . for an added kick. My friend suggested adding shrimp to the combo for a little Cajun twist which sounds great. Overall I gave this 4 stars because it truly is good as is and it is a great starting point for anything you might want to add in.






    1. Stephanie M Holts

      you can always add tons of cayenne pepper as opposed to tony c for instance, because those other creole spices have so much salt too. Try your favorite spice with a tons of cayenne and add seasoned pepper too! the one with the blue lid at walmart! it has bigger pepper flakes so its a great spice to add.

    2. Jenny

      I decreased the liquid to one cup and didn’t add any salt since it was already salty from the sausage, broth (even though it’s low-sodium), and the cheese. Tastes so good!!






  15. Heidi Frady

    I found this on pinterest a few years ago and it easily became a favorite meal in our family. Its quick to make I love it is a one pot wonder. I always have to make a double batch bc it is that popular and just that good. Its what’s for dinner tonight and I always suggest it when people say they are in a rut and need something new. Thanks for sharing this.






  16. Kynan

    Made today and I only had macaroni. My family has texture issues so I blended the tomatoes. It’s the best meal I’ve made in a long time!!






  17. Amber

    This is my favorite! Love this recipe I have to stop myself from eating it. Favorite recipe I ever found pinterest ?






  18. Silvia

    Hi! I found this recipe back in 2012, made it and loved it!
    Is it the same recipe? I can’t fully remember?
    My brain is telling me it’s diff because the cover picture to me looks diff. My memory is horrible! The other part of my brain is saying that it’s ALL the same. ?
    Going to make it again since I have found it again!!

  19. Jenne

    I discovered this recipe a few years ago, and I’ve made it countless times! It is an absolutely delicious combination of ingredients, and smells heavenly while it’s cooking. I always use Campanelle pasta in favor of any other kind, and it always turns out wonderfully. I increase the liquids just a bit because I prefer a saucier dish. This recipe is so well-loved, that I have a pan that I use JUST to make this in! It was a gift, and is the perfect fit for all of the ingredients for this recipe. I’ve used this turkey sausage since I found your recipe, and I’ve never looked back either! The fresh green onions seem optional, but they really add a fresh, light pop of flavor and I highly recommend not skipping them. 10-Star recipe! Thank you for the many tasty dinners you’ve helped me create over the years. :)

  20. Julie

    I’ve made this countless times including many variations of it. It is a great recipe as is or as a base for measurements using different Rotel, veggie, and sausage varieties. Thank you :). 

  21. Christel

    I’ve made this recipe dozens of times and have shared it a lot too. It’s our favourite family recipe. I used to to have to travel to the states to get Rotel as Canada didn’t carry it, but thank goodness that changed this year. I never seem to have cream around so use milk and it works perfectly.

    1. Amanda

      Yes, it’s the Rotel! You can buy mild Rotel (which is still a little spicy) or you can use petite diced tomatoes for no spice at all.

    2. Jenne

      Try using Mild rotel, and a splash more cream—I have to take a specific medication that frequently makes my mouth super sensitive to heat/spice, and this does the trick every time! You could also use mild rotel, and add a small can of fire roasted tomates with garlic (plus a tiny bit more heavy cream). It will up the mild tomato content, offsetting the spicy nature of the dish. I SO understand! I love the dish as written, but I too sometimes need to cut the spice. Those two methods work for me, and I hope they work for you, too!
      Let us know if you make any other successful adjustments—And Happy Thanksgiving 2020 (in advance)!

  22. Kathy

    My husband has been hog hunting, which means we have more smoked sausage than I know what to do with. Thank God for this recipe! My whole family loves it!

  23. Kathleen

    I’ve made this many, many times.  But now that my husband and I are trying to reduce calorie consumption at dinner to less than 550, I tried a couple of changes.  First, I used hillshire farms turkey kielbasa instead of regular and switched to half and half instead of cream.  That cuts each serving down to 424.  And it still tastes great!  Serves with a salad and your dinner is less than 500 calories!

  24. Allison

    I’ve made this countless times so I want to thank you so much for providing a hit recipe for my family!! It’s so easy and delicious!

  25. Shyla Khatiwala

    My kids beg me to make this! This is so yummy and easy! I add spinach too to make it just a smidge healthy!! A definite keeper!

  26. CHRISTINE GUILMETTE

    Omg!!!! This was so yummy and so easy! Had a package of plant based hot Italian sausage I needed to use (I am a Brooklyn Italian meat loving girl – a new Whole Foods opened by me and they sampled these… Texture is perfect! #seriously Why not?) Fantastic recipe amazing fkavors and really that easy!!! The only thing I did different was add a little bit of fennel seed… I love that flavor … And some baby spinach (just cuz I had it laying around and it eas about to go bad) This would make a great tail gating or camper recipe too! Thank you so much!

  27. Anne

    Can I make this as a casserole? I feel like the cream might not work in it that way. I wanted to give it to a neighbor to heat and eat when she wants.

    1. Amanda

      I’ve never done it, but I think I would do everything up until step 3: “Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese.” Then I would pour everything into a casserole dish, then “Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions.” Cover with foil and give to neighbor, and she would bake until heated through, probably 30 minutes at 350. Hope this helps!

  28. Caly

    I just made this and it was amazing! We love spicy so I added a tablespoon of cayenne pepper but this was so easy to make! I wish I could upload a picture to show off how great of a recipe it was. Thanks Amanda and Kyle for the idea. 

  29. Melody Rakestraw

    I made this for tonight’s super with some garlic bread in the side, It was a Hot! Thanks for the recipe, it’s Very good!!

  30. Diane

    This is one of our favorite recipes, I make it at least twice a month! It’s always a hit when family comes over for dinner too. Although your italian sausage tortellini has also stolen our hearts…. it gave the spicy sausage pasta a run for it’s money :)

  31. Julia

    I made this the other night and it was delicious! I’m a full time college student, so I’m always looking for cheap, easy weeknight dinners. This was very affordable and very quick, plus I’ll actually be looking forward to eating leftovers all week because this was just so yummy. I’ll definitely be making this again, thank you for sharing!

  32. Lauren

    Just wanted to say that after making this recipe countless times.. my boyfriend and I still looove this recipe and it is one of his all time favorite meals. We usually use regular rotel for a little more heat, and more garlic (always lol). This ones a keeper!

  33. Eric and Autumn

    Just made this minus the onions and it was so fast,easy and delicious. Thanks for writing it up. We will be making it again and visiting your site

  34. Christy

    2018 and I’m trying this out. I noticed the ingredients call for Penne pasta but the picture has a different pasta. Hopefully It’ll turn out with penne!

  35. Sandra Freeman

    This is a favorite for my family. I tend to like things very spicy, but they can’t take as much as me. I use spicy andoulle sausage. I had to dial it back when I used the Rotel with habeneros and pepper jack cheese instead of Montery Jack cheese. Anyway, the andoulle sausage and everything else exactly as the recipe calls for is perfect for us.

    1. Wani

      I’ve done that before and it was great! I’ve used this as a base recipe to do it all different ways. Italian (with sausage, mozz, diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano), Greek (ground beef with Dill and feta), Mexican (chorizo, cilantro, and queso fresco), etc.

  36. Sydney

    If I wanted to add broccoli into this, where would I put it in to begin the cooking process? :) I’d like to try it out this weekend!!

  37. Sydney

    Can I substitute heavy cream for 2% milk by chance? :-) I would love to make this for my boyfriend and his family when I visit them!!

  38. Sharon

    Looks great. Thanks for the chicken stock tip, never occurred to me it might contain sugar. Will be checking that out. Two questions: 1) you use just regular dry pasta? And 2) boiling the cream doesn’t create a curdling problem? Thanks so much!

  39. Caitlyn

    Since finding this recipe I’ve made this dish a million times, and I love it more every time I make it! So quick, easy, and seriously delicious. Thank you!

  40. Karen

    This has become my signature dish for friends. I use jalapeño flavored sausage. Add cubes  chicken breast. Pepper jack cheese. Everyone loves it

  41. Melanie Dolamore

    AMAZING!  We had this for dinner last night and it was so quick and easy to make.  Even better was how amazingly delicious it was.  Restaurant quality is what my husband said and for a guy who adds sriracha to everything, the bottle never left the fridge.  Thank you for a definite new favourite in our house.  

  42. Lateisha T

    I made this tonight it was so delicious omg. I followed the recipe exactly and added a half of cup of 6 Italian cheese blend along with the Monterey Jack this will be a staple for sure thanks a lot 

  43. Sandra Freeman

    I have been using this recipe for over a year now. I have made this exactly by the recipe and using the hot Rotel tomatoes and pepper jack cheese in place of the milder original version. Either way, it is a total hit in my house. This is great when you have a house full of people because it makes so much.

  44. Ms. Ainee C. Beland

    Your recipes all seem so very simple to make and looks to be delicious. I can’t wait to give them a try; thank you for sharing.

  45. Agness of Run Agness Run

    I have never thought that I can prepare pasta with sausages, Amanda! This post was a real eye-opener! I love trying out new tastes!

  46. Amberly

    I like things unnecessarily spicy so I used linguine with Jennie-O lean hot italian turkey sausage and Kraft shredded hot habanero monterey jack cheese. It was super spicy and yummy. :)

  47. Brent @ Cookapalooza

    This is my kind of pasta dish…looks delicious! Can’t wait to try this one! Found your site through Pinterest and love the looks of the recipes you have posted here. Definitely coming back for seconds ; ). Cheers!

  48. Linda

    I just made this for my son(15).  He went back not just for seconds but a third time.  I had to scoop some into a container for lunch or he would have ate everything!  Great recipe.  It’s on my favorite board.

  49. Megan

    I’ve tried to make this twice now and each time it hasn’t been thick but more like soup. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong except the penne pasta I use is flat  and smooth. I’ve double checked and all my measurements are correct and all the items I use are the same ingredients(different brand of whipping cream) but all else is the same.

  50. Shelly

    I made this last night and it was EXCELLENT! I immediately wrote out a recipe card out for my recipe box in my kitchen (which means it’s a good staple, go-to dish). Fantastic flavor with just the right amount of spicy – Thank you for sharing!

  51. dina mallon

    Made this last night. It was so good. Already had spicy Italian sausage so I used that instead of smoked and added regular chopped tomatoes instead of rotel. I was afraid it would be too spicy. It was amazing. Ill definitely make again

  52. Jessica Callaham

    This dish is AMAZING!! I made it 100% true to the recipe and loved the flavor, I mean LOVED IT…It’s a great dish and I was looking forward to making it all the time, even for company! The issue was after I served it to my family, it was apparently too spicy for my kids even though I used the mild Rotel and simple smoked sausage! You know, they can down a bowl of spicy salsa and chips at the Mexican restaurant down the street, yet love to complain when I cook a slightly spicy dish. But this recipe was too easy and awesome to pass up so I made it again and this time subbed the sausage with a pack of diced chicken tenderloins (sautéed it with the onions, garlic and seasoned only with salt and pepper) and just a can a diced petite cut tomatoes and it came out just as awesome! Clean plates, no complaints! I think the green onions are a must and they really add color and a savory layer of flavor to this dish.

  53. Sandra Freeman

    This is one of my favorite meals to cook. I love the fact that you use some shortcuts like frozen onions. This became one of my go to meals when my son and his family lived with us. It easily serves 4 to 5 people. Now that they are on their own, I have enough for one meal at home and 2 days for lunch at work. FYI, for those who like spicy foods, you can use the hot Ro-Tel tomatoes and pepper jack cheese. Even going by the recipe as is, it is quite spicy. I love this meal!

  54. ashleigh noonan

    This was so easy and so yummy! Thanks for a great weeknight meal. Perfect for fall too. I did make a couple adjustments just based on what I had on hand. I used the precooked garlic basil chicken sausages (3 links, cut thinly), then added chopped red bell pepper to the onion mixture. I did not have a can of chopped tomatoes, so I just used about 1-1/4 cup of jarred tomato sauce (it happened to be spicy). Lastly, after boiling the pasta mixture for the 15 minutes, I added chopped fresh spinach and grated parmesan, served immediately. No broiling. This is exactly the recipe I needed. Thanks for sharing.

  55. erin luther

    hi!! i know this is an older post, but my family loves this and we make it every other week.  i want to make it for a family expecting a baby. do you have any freezing tips?

  56. Connie

    First recipe I’ve tried from this site and it was delicious. I used plain greek yogurt instead of heavy cream, added mushrooms, stirred in spinach at the end right before broiling, added some frozen corn I wanted to use up, used mild Italian sausage instead of smoked sausage, used original Rotel because I couldn’t find mild, and added a can of Hunt’s petite diced tomatoes for even more tomatoes. It was freaking delicious. I just had the leftovers and they were also really good. I ate mine with the chopped green onions, avocado slices, and an extra dollop of greek yogurt. The only issue I had was that my Italian sausage came in a casing and I couldn’t slice them until they had cooked through enough to be firm enough, so cooking the sausage took a lot longer than I had anticipated because they were in big links for most of the cooking. Also, I think next time I’ll use fresh onions–I couldn’t really see/taste the onion chunks in my pasta.

  57. Lori

    Turned out fantastic! Not sure why some people are finding this too spicy lol? I have made this twice, both times using regular smoked sausage and ro-tel original, and added pepper the second time. Even my father, who has no gall bladder, tolerated the flavor and spices just fine. Also be sure to cover the pot to allow the noodles to cook properly, and if you do that like the recipe says, you won’t have to add more liquid. The second time I made this I didn’t broil it in the oven, I just uncovered the pan, cooked a couple minutes longer and just threw some shredded cheese in there and stirred, and repeated until I liked the consistency :) thanks so much, new rotation dinner!

  58. Lisa

    This is for dinner tonight!!!!   Omg that cookbook though, those many markings for me is the sign of a good cookbook…buying it too!

  59. Julie

    I followed all the instructions and mine did not come out as cheesy and gooey as the picture looked and recipe was described..it was on the watery side. I even added extra cheese so see if that would thicken it up and not so much :(

  60. Charley

    We made your Spicy Sausage Pasta tonight. Soooooo Gooood! Yummy, gooey, cheesy, loved the browned bits from the broiler. Easy to make, filling, tastes like it came from the finest Italian Restaurant. You are so good to us.

    Last night we made the Lemon Chicken and it was also to die for. Two perfect & very differenct, easy to make (due to your great pix/tips) meals in a row. Maybe, I’ll never eat out again!

    I’m dieing to make the pulled pork. Tomorrow night will be the ham/cheese swirls for caz Friday.

  61. royh

    Made this today.

    I used andouille, San Giorgio oven ready pasta, and unsalted chicken broth.

    This was excellent! Thank you!

  62. al

    Excellent! Made this following the recipe and it turned out well. We made it again and added red and green peppers, mushrooms, and a few spices to kick up the heat and healthiness, and it turned out excellent as well!

  63. Sarah

    I have made this several times and LOVED it. I substituted for a healthy version with Smoked Turkey Sausage, 1% Milk, Reduced Fat Mexican cheese mix and it is AMAZING! Healthy and tastes great! Thank you!

  64. Jennifer

    This may actually be the BEST thing we ever cooked! Everyone from our picky teenager to my elderly parents RAVED over this! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. War Eagle!

  65. Karen

    This was delicious. I mean really really good. I substituted sour cream for the cream since that’s what I had. Thanks for sharing this recipe and war eagle!

  66. Kylie

    Thank you so much! This is one of our favourite recipes, I make it at least once a week and it’s always a hit with whoever happens to be visiting our house that day! The only change I have to make is using chopped tomatoes and adding my own green chillies as we don’t have Ro-tel in this part of the world.

    So simple and delicious and particularly awesome this time of year when it’s freezing out!

  67. Regina

    I dont know if this site is still active, but I’m making this now. I have never cooked penne pasta. It’s the only think I am nervous about liking. I can’t wait to try it!

  68. Anna

    Made this the other night and it was delicious. The only change I made was using a little more cheese. Before we were even finished dinner my son asked me to make it again soon. So guess what’s for dinner tonight!!

  69. Cathy Clark

    I just made this for lunch and it is rather soupy! Taste is still great, but next time will add more pasta or use less chicken broth.

  70. Jessica

    We make this for dinner at least twice a month. We omit the oil but everything else is kept the same. Sure, sometimes we use whatever cheese we have on hand and I even use skim milk as opposed to heavy cream a lot of time, but it always turns out delicious! Awesome recipe, I have shared it with many friends!

  71. SA Matthews

    Made this a couple weeks ago. Delicious! I used a 12oz box of Penne and increased the liquid slightly and used a little more cheese. We loved it!

  72. SA Matthews

    Made this a couple days ago. FABULOUS and so EASY! Shared with several people and 2 of them have already made it and loved it! Thanks, keep em coming!

  73. Isabella

    Made this the other night and it was delicious! Added a bit more cheese… just because why not? ;) And it is amazing as a leftover as well. Does not dry up! My boyfriend loved it. Definteley keeping this as a favorite.

  74. Jennifer

    I just made this & it is yummy. I added some celery & carrots & used petite diced tomatoes & low fat smoked sausage. It is so good & I will definitely put this in to regular rotation. Thanks for the recipe!

  75. JOE

    This was a wonderful hit for lunch with kids and when it was my turn to cook at work, I made it and after the first bite, I had people requesting the recipe. Very delicious meal. I am cooking it today for family lunch. Simple and delicious

  76. Amber Leigh

    My fiance and I love this so much, but each time I make it, it turns out incredibly liquidy. The pasta is cooked through, but there’s just a ton of liquid at the bottom. I’m using a dutch oven, maybe that’s my problem? I’ll try using a skillet next time. Any other suggestions?

    1. Michael

      I’ve made this several times first time had a lot of liquid in mine aswell I ended up changing out some of the broth for more cream honestly it came out better. I use 1 cup of cream and about 3/4th broth. sometimes while cooking I have to add alittle more liquid before the baking phase due to the pasta is still tough but it comes out creamy like a perfect cheese sauce not too thick or too thin.

  77. Carolyn

    I just finished making this dish. Very good. I must have had too much broth for the pasta that I used because it was a lot saucier than I expected but none the less it was good. I’ll have to back off a bit of the broth for next time. I also used habanero cheese instead because that’s what I on hand. It’s a keeper.

  78. Angie

    I, like dozens of others, just want to let you know that I have made this a COUNTLESS number of times over the past couple years! I absolutely love it. It is my favorite pasta. I make it for company quite a bit and for new mom friends when I drop off a warm meal after they’ve had their little one. Thank you!! :)

  79. Sara

    Very delicious and very easy!!! My boyfriend loves this and requests it often! I’m not a big fan of smoked sausage but the flavor of just the sauce is good, so I just eat the pasta and leave the sausage for him. I don’t have a cast iron skillet, so I skip the last broiling step – still turns out amazing!

  80. Alice

    I have just cooked this for my husband, and it was incredibly easy and extremely yummy. Thanks for a great recipe!

  81. kenny

    This dish is delicious. My wife says I could easily charge $15 a plate at Olive Garden. My family requests this at least once a week

  82. Sharon

    I have used frozen chopped onions for years. They certainly save time. This recipe is now on my “must try” list. I also use frozen chopped green pepper when I can find them. When I am not feeling lazy, I chop green peppers and also celery and freeze them. Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe.

  83. Jessica Young

    This is one of my family’s favorite meals. Have made it several times and enjoyed each time. Thanks for sharing this delicious recipe!

  84. Stacy @Stacy Makes Cents

    No wonder this keeps getting pinned! It’s soooooooo good it’ll make your nose run – that’s a good indicator that a dish is spicy enough. ;-) I used chicken sausage and half-and-half. Can’t wait to make it again!

  85. Erica Denzau

    This looked so delish I just had to make it tonight. But I must have screwed something up because it came out like a soup. A delicious soup, but soup nonetheless. Any ideas how I screwed it up? Help :(

  86. Sam

    Hi there!
    Pinned this ages ago and I’ve made this SEVERAL times since. I LOVE THIS RECIPE. SO EASY. SO TASTY. Tonight, I’m kicking things up a notch by adding Cholula Hot sauce, my new favorite ingredient Chipoltle, crushed red pepper and extra cheese. I also got these Kayem Atesian Sausages with peppers and provolone. My boyfriend LOVES this dish. Can’t wait to see how it turns out tonight with the tweaks. <3

  87. Teehan

    This recipe is in regular rotation at my house. Easy, delicious, and ONE PAN!
    It’s funny though, I was never aware of the frozen diced onions until I read this recipe a few years ago. I was ridiculously excited because I am not a fan of stinging eyes while cutting onions. :-)

  88. Michelle Fretz

    I loved this! popped some garlic bread in the oven while this was simmering and it was perfect with this! Next time, ill add mushrooms and corn, just to get some veggies in there. LOVE that its a one-pot dinner! Thank you for posting this!

  89. Brittany

    I’ve made this dish for months now and it is and will always be one of our favorites. Even my children love it :D

  90. Bethany

    I am not one to cut corners to speed up a meal while sacrificing flavor. I am not really interested in 3-ingredient crockpot recipes. I am mentioning this because I was somewhat skeptical about this recipe as I was putting it together, and when I say that we loved this recipe, I want to be sure the full weight of the compliment is conveyed. Don’t let the ease of this dish trick you into thinking you compromise on flavor, because it doesn’t!

  91. Megan

    This is super yummy and so easy! I used cheddar instead (personal preference) and browned the sausage a bit before adding the onion and it was perfect. I will definitely be making this often. Thank you!

  92. Holly K

    This is my oldest daughters FAVORITE meal. The whole family loves this! We use a can of petite diced tomatoes because my littlest doesn’t like spice. Thank you so much for the recipe.

  93. Jaimie

    I made this recipe tonight. I added extra pasta, and just upped the chicken broth by maybe a third of a cup, and a splash more cream. Super easy to make, and quite tasty. Thanks for the recipe!

  94. Pamela

    Made this today! Added some peas and bell pepper, didn’t add the extra salt as cheddar was all I had. Still turned out fantastic.

  95. Laurin

    I just tried this recipe and it was great! My boyfriend even went back for seconds, which is the sure-tell sign that it was delicious! I added some home-grown pepper flakes to the olive oil to give the dish some heat. Awesome and easy dinner!!!

  96. Emily

    Hi! My husband said this was amazing about 12 times while he was eating it! So I went to triple the recipe to freeze in single servings for him to take to work, I planned to leave out the pasta till we are ready to eat it! (pasta doesn’t freeze nicely). I never really considered how much the pasta absorbs the liquid! Do you think I ruined the recipe or do you think I can freeze it a little watery and it will all work out after I reheat it and add the pasta?

  97. Teresa

    Wonderful! I used Costco Italian sausage, regular canned tomatoes, a little hot chili flakes and a little fennel that is so nice with sausage, and all this with gluten free corn and rice penne. Worked like a charm. Thank you so much for this dish. I will make this again and again.

  98. Colette

    I have made this dish at least a half dozen times now, and every time i make it, I forget just how good it is!
    The only thing ive done different that my family prefers, is taking the sausage out of the casing (depending on what kind im using) and frying it up like a ground sausage. So yummy!! This recipe is on my list for top 10 all time fav’s. Thanks so much for sharing.

  99. Carol Dicus

    Wonderful recipe ! I make this all the time now. I add fresh sliced mushrooms and some frozen corn to it and it is a wonderful complete meal for my family. Thank you !

  100. Michelle

    I’ve made this several times and it is a favorite in our house. I follow the directions as is. So easy to make and so delicious. Thanks for sharing!

  101. Marsha

    I’m making this right now for at least the tenth time. It’s a great dish for leftovers, the flavors are even better. Easy to take for lunch and warm up. I use sharp cheddar-a little cheezier flavor. Family loves it, and the co-workers always want the recipe. Taking it for our Xmas eve pot luck lunch at work-Thanks for a great and easy recipe.

  102. samantha mcknight

    I thought this was delicious. It was a lil spicy for my husbands taste but he still loved it. Im going to make it again and just change up the tomatos, I thought I would try, basil garlic and oregeno flavored and see how it turned out! It was delicious, I just thought I would mess around with it some too.

  103. amber

    Made this for dinner last night and my boyfriend said it’s the best thing I’ve ever made!! Excellent recipe! We added a jalapeno for extra spice and it was perfect! I think next time I’ll try it with chicken and see how that works out.

  104. Fedeles

    I think food is about culture and tradition so I love hearing about the background and history of a simple Italian dish and how strongly a culture feels about the way it “should” be made. I think it adds character to a dish. Also, really good cooking is all about nuances and subtle differences (otherwise we’d all be amazing cooks)! What has always amazed me about Italian cooking is the simplicity of it. But really excellent Italian cooking is the sum of excellent ingredients. A Caprese salad (only 4 simple ingredients) in America is nothing compared to a Caprese salad in Italy if the cook doesn’t appreciate the importance of the quality and freshness of the individual ingredients. Thanks for the post!

  105. Chelsea Tagg

    This was so delicious and easy! I have picky toddlers in the house and they loved this as much as I did. Thank you so much for the quick and easy weeknight recipes, they make life so much easier for busy moms.
    I also substituted the heavy cream with sour cream, since that was what was available, and it,turned out delicious! A new fav in my house

  106. Jennie Kind

    I make this all the time. The first time I made it…I had dreams about it. It is that dreamy. I usually keep all the ingredients on hand for just in case days. It is also a favorite to take to people who need a meal, new babies and such. Great recipe!

  107. Daphne Wimpey

    I am planning a dinner party and wanted something I could prepare ahead of time. Is it possible to prepare the sauce the day before and then follow the steps? I also wanted to know if I could use spaghetti pasta instead of the pasta called for in the recipe. If so how much. Does this make a large amount, trying to decide if I need to double the recipe. I will have 8 people at my party. Thanks so much.

  108. Mikayla

    I dont have any chicken broth at home right now, is there anything I can substitute? The recipe looks so good, I dont want to wait to make it haha :)

  109. Susan

    Made this for dinner tonight. I used a can of regular diced tomatoes ( instead of the rotelle) and used a Mexican blend package of cheese. It was delicious! Thank -you for sharing this recipe. It was awesome!!

  110. Melissa

    My husband loves this recipe! In fact I need to double it so my whole family can get enough. Would you recommend I double every ingredient? Or what proportions should I use for double the dish?

    1. Amanda

      I would just double everything! :) If you feel like you want to use less of something next time, then you can go from there. :) Hope this helps!

  111. Kim

    OMG!! This is so delicious!! And easy!!! This is a keeper at my house. Love recipes that are easy and so great tasting. Thank you for sharing.

  112. Teryn Brafford

    I made this to your exact specifications….down to the brand, and to me it kind of tastes like macaroni and cheese and hot dogs lol. Not that I don’t like mac and cheese and hot dogs, but I think I am going to try a different sausage next time.

  113. Julie

    I made this last night and we LOVED it. I followed your recipe to the letter, which is not normal for me, and I’m glad I did! I just bought “The Beat Simple Recipies” by Americas Test Kitchen on Amazon for only $18 (paperback) and I can’t wait to dive in! Thank you!

  114. taylor

    hello, I made this for dinner last night to your exact directions, and the sauce was very “liquidy” not thick and creamy like the pictures looked. Do you recommend cutting down the amount of broth? I am not quite sure what I messed up on :) !

  115. Marlene

    As others have said, this is easy and very good. My extra-fussy husband raved about it. I used spicy chicken Italian sausage, which added just the right “kick,” and chopped tomatoes with basil, garlic, oregano as that is what I had. Thanks! Kevin and Amanda.

  116. Amanda

    I pinned this recipe a while back and made it today for the first time. I substituted half and half for heavy cream, colby jack chest, and whole wheat pasta. I made a separate meal for our 11mo old and he tried our dinner and preferred it over the baby food–he reached out and cried out for it. Well done!

  117. leann

    I made this today. It turned out very good. I made it with gluten free rotiti.
    I will use the mild rotel next time. It was a little too spicy.
    Thanks for the recipe. I will definitely make it again. :)

  118. Olivia

    I love this recipe, I discovered it a little over a year ago and my husband request it weekly, I am not exaggerating, it is on our meal plan board every week!

  119. Millie Rocheleau

    Made this and it was delicious. Two of us and we had lots of left overs. I would like to serve this to guests this week-end-a total of 8 of us. Don’t you think with appetizers ahead of time, your recipe with salad, green been bundles, bread and dessert at the end I could get 8 servings or do I need to do 1 and 1/2 times the recipe? Don’t want to run out. Thanks!

  120. lisa

    Made this a few weeks ago & it has now become the new house favorite.
    I’ve even made a vegetarian version with beans and veg broth.
    I ‘hide’ kale, spinach and soybeans in a lot of dishes…this one is no exception. Many thanks for this!!

  121. Chris

    This is GREAT!! So easy. Such a uniquely tasting dish. We LOVE it! Don’t just read it, make it. You won’t be sorry :) Thank you!!

  122. Alexis

    Huge hit! My boyfriend kept going back for more. I had to warn him to take a break or he would need an Antacid! It was a little runny, as most comments state. I left the lid off for an extra 5 minutes…..oh, and doubled the cheese. :) Hey, you only live once! Turned out to be a dynamic spicy cheesy delicious dish!

  123. laura flintom

    Holy Moly!!!!!! This was delish. Hubby called it “man food” and wants to know when we’re having it again. Terrific weeknight meal

    1. laura flintom

      I used homemade chicken stock and a can of Hunts spicy red pepper tomatoes because I didn’t have Ro-Tel. It was amazing

  124. Erika Conner

    Would I be able to replace the heavy cream with half n’ half. I still want the creamy consistency, but not all of the calories.

    1. Amanda

      Yes, you can, I’ve done it many times, but it’s not as creamy. I wouldn’t do it if I were making it for company, or if I were making it for my family for the first time, because it doesn’t *look* as pretty (it’s more liquidy) but it still tastes just as good. Hope this helps. Good luck with your decision!

  125. Angie @Angela's Anxious Life

    This was delicious!! I loved it and my family loved it. Very good. Too bad the sodium is so high.

  126. Mel Kinnel (@TizMellyMel)

    OMG! Made this for dinner tonight and it was a total hit with my family. My husband kept saying how creamy it was. The only thing that I would change next time is to use fresh onions instead of the frozen. My frozen onions were really “wet” and seemed to get a little mushy when I was sauteing them. I did double the recipe so I’m not sure if was just too much to get them caramelized or what but the taste was still awesome! Thanks for posting! Pinned!

  127. Pattie

    Just made this for dinner and the 12 year old is still raving about it. Will surely make again. The one minor change I made was to slightly purée the Rotel before adding it since neither my hubby or my kiddo like chunks of tomatoes in things. Other than that, I followed the recipe exactly. Thanks for the great dinner.

  128. Michele

    My husband and I eat this once a week almost and we love it. We are huge foodies, so it isn’t easy to please us when it comes to simple recipes. So yummy!!!! We use 1/2 a cup less chicken broth, but that’s the only thing I’ve done to the recipe. That only really matters depending on how thick or thin you like it. Great job!

  129. angela

    Any suggestions on how to adjust this recipe for a LARGE crowd (approx 25 ppl) ? And any suggestions on making it ahead??? Thanks!

    1. Michele

      I have to adjust this recipe all the time to make it for myself and my boys. We love it, so we eat a lot of it. As someone who cooks a lot, I would say you should experiment with doubling it at first. I’ve done that and it turns out fine. One of the reasons it’s a one pan dish is the fact that you can cook the pasta with a lid on. Normal pasta is cooked with a lid off. The mixture of steam and simmer is what makes this work, so when you are talking about cooking a “pot” of it, I’m not sure that the consistency would be correct. You could however cook a couple of batches and put it in two casserole dishes to finish off in the oven.

    1. Michele

      Only 1 to 1/2 cups of chicken broth and take the lid off for the last five minutes. It should thicken like that. I make it all the time and this has worked for me.

  130. Rosemarie

    Finally got around to trying this recipe – big hit with the family. I smiled and said “Kevin & Amanda – can’t go wrong!” We used Chipotle Sausage & Pepper Jack cheese- it was awesome!

  131. EmilyE

    I’m actually in the process of cooking this right now. It smells amazing – quick question. I’m newly married and am teaching myself to cook so I thought this would be a great recipe to try. I omitted the onions since my hubby doesn’t like them… if you do this should you use less broth? I added two cups as the recipe said and it seems pretty liquid-y. Yes, I know that’s not a word. Lol.

  132. Kate

    I can’t even count the number of times I have made this recipe since stumbling upon it on Pinterest! The only change I make is to add in a bunch of frozen broccoli when I add the pasta and stock/broth so that there’s a bit more veggie content. It makes it last a little longer, too ;)

  133. Terry

    This stuff is amazing. My whole family loves it! Love that it is a one pot meal that goes together in no time at all!

  134. Kelli

    Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe, I personally am not a huge fan of smoked sausage but the flavoring in this dish made it totally worth it. I will definitely be making again!

    I froze the extra’s, into individual servings for some lunches or when I don’t want to cook dinner :-)

  135. Alicia

    This was pretty yummy! I used 1/2 and 1/2 instead of heavy whipping cream to save on fat and calories. It worked great! I actually might try milk or a mixture next time. I also had some italian cheese blend, so I threw some of that in there along with the colby jack (there goes the extra fat and calories I saved from using 1/2 & 1/2!). We had this for dinner last night, and my husband already wants to make it again today!

  136. Brandi

    I made this last night, it was soo good everyone dove in for seconds. I made two pans one with mild rotelle and the other with plain diced tomatoes, for my mother in law who cannot eat spicy foods. For the people questioning the rotelle mild is the way to go the original is very spicy. This is a great recipe I have to get that cook book.

  137. Tammy

    this looks sooooo good and I want to make it but what can I use in place of heavy cream since my son is allergic to milk?

  138. Robert Mathenge Mwangi

    I just made this for lunch and it tastes great! I just messed up on the spice measurements and made it a little bit too spicy but I love it anyway.

  139. Michelle Martinez

    I made a couple changes to this recipe- I used chorizo instead of the sausage up top and I only used the tomatoes and not the chiles because I can’t eat spicy foods but even with those changes I must say this was absolutely delicious!! My fiancé had a couple bites and asked me to “put it on the list” hahahha it’s delicious! Thank you for sharing!!

  140. jessrich

    So glad I found your site and this recipe. Every time I make it, there’s barely any leftover. I like to add a small can of corn with everything else.

  141. cathy

    Also use a Dutch oven pot and add a hand full of diced green pepper. Always buy two sausage and two cans of tomatoes so you can make it two times.

  142. cathy

    Modify – use botie noodles half of the box, double the heavy cream, use del monte tomatoes with green chilies & Sargento 4 state cheese. Cook additional 10 mins and then add cheese and green onion and put in oven at 350 for 25 mins then turn on broiler for 1 min. Way better!

  143. Renee

    This looks so yummy and easy. I’ve had it pinned on my “To Try” Pinterest board for awhile now. Adding to this week’s meal plan. Thank you for sharing this lovely looking dish!

  144. Kirsty

    Hello all the way from New Zealand! Thank you for this recipe, we made it tonight and it is so super easy and the whole family loved it! We will be adding this to our “favourite meals” recipe book. :)

  145. Jody

    My family loved this!! Even my carnivore hubby ,who thought that the smoked turkey sausage was Keilbasa!! Will definitely be making this again and again!!

  146. Guadalupe Angulo

    I made this today for the 2nd time….this is one of my favorite recipes! For the record, for us non cooks always wondering what something looks like when described in recipe your step by step pictures come in sooo handy!!! Love your recipes!!

  147. Susan

    Amanda,
    This will be the second time I have made this easy and very tasty dinner. My husband is hard to please and kind of a hamburger/hot dog type person but he really liked this dinner. Thanks for sharing with us.
    Regards,
    Susan

  148. Joann hughes

    Thanks for this recipe!! I’m making it right now and so far it tastes delish!! And I haven’t even added the cheese in yet. :)
    The only changes I made was using whole wheat pasta, which adds a little extra cooking time, and a few red pepper flakes. Probably could have left them out, but we love spicy!!

  149. Janet

    I used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream and it tastes just fine! And I also used penne pasta. Best thing, it freezes great too!

    1. katrina

      Janet, did you cook it completely, freeze it, then defrost and heat in the oven? I am looking to make this as a freezer meal for a friend who just had a baby and I am not sure the best to go about it!

  150. Tess Holtzclaw

    I made this Sunday and we loved it! I subsituted half and half for the heavy cream and added chipotle chicken sausge and portabello mushrooms! It is my favorite pasta dish!

  151. katies

    i’ve made this several times and it’s really delicious -thanks for the recipe! but mine comes out very pale compared to yours, which has a nice, pink saucey color to it. am i missing something?

  152. Lori

    This recipe is delicious, but for some reason the cream curdles when I cook this. Any thoughts on what I’m doing wrong or how to prevent it?

  153. Linda

    I really want to make this but my family loathes tomatoes and spicy stuff. Is there a sub or can I leave that part out and compensate for the liquid loss with broth?

  154. Susan B.

    Can you believe it? I cannot find this Butterball product anywhere in Tucson. I’ve checked every chain and even Butterball’s product locator! I guess I will use Hillshire Farm lil smokies since I already have those. Such a shame cuz I really wanted to try the Butterball turkey sausage.

  155. Vanessa

    I’ll be trying this tonight for dinner. I did but the ro-tel but I won’t be using it since I also wasn’t able to find the turkey smoked sausage I got spicy turkey. I wouldn’t mind the hot with both but my husband has a sensitive stomach with spicy food. This looks yummy

  156. Darlene Argo

    Oh. Sweet. Mercy.
    I have been wanting to make this since I found it a few weeks ago. I finally did it! And, it made me look like a cooking genius. (OK, I did late admit that it was actually an ‘Amanda recipe.’) It was so incredibly easy and delicious. And, easy clean-up since it is a ‘one-pan’ recipe. Loved it!!!!

  157. Beth@mealsalone.com

    I have some recipes on my site and on pinterest that you really might like to add to your repertoire. I will be trying this one though. :)

  158. Jennifer

    I use Anduille Sausage and skip the oven step. I make it on the stove in a pot. This is probably the best pasta recipe I have ever had….

  159. Strephanie

    This pasta was amazing! I used half and half instead of heavy cream and it was still very creamy and delicious. It will definitely be a recipe we use on a regular basis from here on out. Thank you so much!

  160. Christine

    Made this for dinner tonight. Could not find mild rotel so I used regular and it was too spicy for my kids (3 and 5). Which made me sad because I know they would have loved it with a bit less heat. My husband and I both had seconds. I will definitely make again and track down some mild rotel or just use a plain old can of tomatoes. It was super cheesey, flavorful, and easy to make!

  161. April

    Good lord this is delicious! And SO easy! My husband, who isn’t a big fan of pasta dishes said “You knocked this one out of the park babe” the first time I made it, “You nailed dinner tonight” the second time I made it. AND he even gobbled up the leftovers too! Thanks to you and this recipe, I was inspired to buy the cookbook you mentioned too!

  162. Annie

    I have made this twice now, so quick, easy and tasty! Tonight I added about 4 cups of cut up kale, just at the end of the cook time, but I did not broil it. It was good with the kale and added some extra nutrition.

  163. Chelsea Honnens

    I made this tonight and it was SOO GOOD! Kept it almost all the same but used half and half instead of cream and used 1.5 cups chicken broth. Seriously turned out much better than I expected. The cheese at the end brought it all together. Thanks for the recipe!

  164. Kar

    I just made this for the first time tonight. It is so simple and delicious! I can’t have spices, so I just used diced tomatoes & plain smoked sausage. Probably one of my new favorite meals!

  165. Cara

    I was ready to make lettuce wraps for dinner tonight when I saw your recipe and immediately knew I was making this instead. After having protein shakes for lunch three days in a row, I’ve been craving something heartier at night.

    I made the mistake of trying to make this in my skillet–maybe I started off with more than a pound of sausage, and I definitely had more than 8 oz of pasta, but it didn’t fit, so I had to delicately transfer all of it to a pot. I was skeptical of the pasta cooking because I used a whole bag of whole wheat egg noodles, so I added a little extra chicken broth and cream. It ended up being perfect: I had to wait a couple of extra minutes for my fiance to get home, and there were extra noodles to soak up the extra liquid.

    Anyway, this was delicious, and just what I needed. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe!

  166. Lauren

    Made this for dinner tonight for myself and my kids. It was so good but a bit spicier than I had expected. My oldest son said it tastes like hot dragon fire peppers and told me his tongue was melting but he continued to eat it because it was so yummy :)

  167. kathleen wright

    I’m a teacher who found you through your fonts. I read your blog all the time now and enjoy all your life details (like that desk your dad made you with the cabinet to hide all the electronic device cords!- Yippee). I made this tonight, in a blizzard, and it was delish. I didn’t have any cream, so substituted half a can of cream of mushroom soup and 1/4 cup of milk. I used chicken/apple sausage (sounds weird but really good), and I must confess, I added a bit more cheese. I’m making your Cheesy Chicken Bacon Broccoli and Rice later in the week, especially if we get another snow day :) Thanks!

  168. Krystal DeCoteau

    Is it safe to say that this recipe gets all it’s heat from the Rotel? If so could another can of tomato product be used in it’s place? I absolutely loved this recipe but my husband (aka girly britches) complained about too much heat, and I am no good at improv. Thank you!

    1. Chelsea Honnens

      I just made it tonight and I’d say it could probably feed four adults. Depends how much you eat I guess.

  169. Sharmel

    This was soooo wonderful. I am so glad I stumbled upon your website and this recipe. I made this with Chicken Andouille Sausage from Trader Joes, cavatappi pasta (which is a fun and great shape) used the HOT Rotel with Habaneros (WOW, very spicy) because that is what I had and also used a sharp cheddar because again all I had. I must admit I was a bit worried about adding dry pasta to everything but I went ahead and was so impressed with the results; super excellent. This is a recipe that I will make again and again, and I love the fact that it’s “tweakable” ~~ Thanks for the post :-)

  170. Alyssa

    Holy amazing! This was fantastic!! Ours turned out a little liquidy, so I think next time we’ll omit 1/2 a cup of the broth, but other than that it was perfect!

  171. Serena Geens

    Even in Belgium The kids LOVE it. I made thr recipe with peas and muchrooms.
    Can anyone tell me who wrote that book she is telling about so I van look for it.

  172. Sue

    I made this tonight with normal sausage instead of the hot. I was worried about it being too spicy, something I don’t like . :)
    The tomatoes with chiles were already enough spicy for me even with added normal diced tomatoes. LOL
    Can you tell I really can’t do spicy?
    Anyway we all loved it and will make it again for sure!
    Thanks for sharing.

  173. Kristen

    Hubby gave it a 10/10 and said that it was better than most things he has ordered in restaurant! Easy to make with minimal clean up and I learned how to use my broiler with this recipe! Thanks for the great recipe!

  174. Kate McDonnell

    I love making this recipe for my boyfriend and I! It’s soo good! I’m currently cooking it right now, except this time I accidentally bought the hot rotel instead of the mild. I’m scared, lol it’s already so spicy!

  175. Danielle

    Made this tonight. I’m not a big sausage fan but decided to make it anyways. I didn’t add the chiles because I don’t like spice. It was pretty tasty! :) Thanks! Will be making it again.

  176. Rena Miller

    OMG!!! My husband stated that he wanted some past for supper tonight, so I went to Pintrest, saw this and BAM…..my family is SO HAPPY that I found yet another recipe that works!!!! The ONLY thing I added was marinara sauce (my husband LOVES marinara in his pasta) and I didn’t put any salt and pepper in the dish since it was already full of flavor. THANK YOU for helping me find another meal to add to our menu!

  177. Jessica

    Came across your recipe/blog on Pinterest last week – and am so glad I did! We just tried this for dinner, as written, and it was wonderful. Thank you SO much for the strong recommendation for the Butterball smoked sausage! We too are trying to make better choices but keep the flavor, and it was by FAR the best turkey sausage of that kind we have tried. Thanks again!

  178. Lauren

    I made this for my boyfriend and his roommate last week and they LOVED it. So so so good!

    My only question is: When I made this, the sauce wasn’t gooey or creamy; rather it was actually very thin. What would you recommend to fix that? I checked and double checked everything and I followed your recipe exactly. Thanks!

    1. Amanda

      I’d add more cheese at the end! :) Mine sauce is thin at first, then I stir in a packed, rounded 1/2 cup cheese and broil (not too close to the element) until brown and bubbly and it thickens up. Hope this helps! :)

  179. louisa springstead

    I am so happy I ran across this recipe! My hubby and I loved it! Except we thought it tasted a bit like Gumbo so we added shrimp to it… and OMG! Amazing!!! Thank you! We will be making this again and again…. :)

  180. Cara R.

    I made this for dinner last night, used andouille sausage though and penne because it’s what I had on hand. There was a little added heat because of the sausage but EVERYONE like it! I’ll be making this again!

  181. Crystal

    I found this recipe earlier today and I’m cooking it now. It smells amazing and looks delicious!!!! Thanks so much for the amazing recipe. sooo quick and easy!! – sub’ed for egg noodles and didn’t have ro-tels so I used diced tomatoes and to make it spicy I added a little hot sauce. YUMM…nothing like comfort food and cold weather. :)

  182. Andrea

    Can I ask why you altered the original recipe? Was it to reduce the calorie count? I noticed that you used different sausage, less garlic, less chicken broth, less pasta, and less cheese than ATK’s original recipe in Simple Recipes. Just curious! I can see using turkey sausage and less pasta/cheese for calorie reasons, but I’m curious about the chicken broth and garlic adjustments? I know this is a year after your original post, but I just came across this recipe via Pinterest, and when I went looking for the recipe in my Simple Recipes cookbook, I was wondering why you changed what you did. Thanks!

  183. Jeri

    Loved the recipe!! I didn’t have heavy cream so I tried omitting the chicken broth and mixed in cream of chicken soup instead. It was creamy and good – loved the spicy bite it had!!

  184. Greta

    Made this last night and the whole family loved it. I followed the directions exactly and it didn’t even need salt after being plated. My husband always adds salt and pepper after a first bite (don’t know what that says about my cooking :), but not this meal. I have a 14 year daughter and 11 year old son and it wasn’t too spicy for either of them. Be making this quite often and by the way soooooooo simple and fast. You will have dinner ready in under 30 minutes, from the prep, cooking to clean up!

    1. Crystal

      Well you can sub healthy things if you don’t like it. For the pasta try using whole wheat pasta. For Ro-tel try using diced fresh tomatoes instead. For the sausage try using soy sausage. and for the cheese try using soy cheese. but even those things are processed… if you are that picky then just omit the cheese and sausage but honestly it wouldn’t be the same recipe without it. comfort food usually isn’t made to be healthy it’s made to be yummy. :D

  185. Lalah

    I’ve made this a few times and we love it! Thanks for posting! It is quick and easy. For those that have trouble with the sauce being a little runny, let it stand for about 5-10 minutes once it’s finished cooking and then throw in the cheese. The sauce thickens as it stands and it won’t be runny once the cheese is added in. I also use regular milk or evaporated milk (if I have some extra left in the fridge) instead of heavy cream and it turns out fine!

  186. Katie

    Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made a variation of this on a camping trip as a “One Pot” recipe. A keeper to be sure with lots of potential for variation!

  187. Jeanine Carraway

    Thanks for sharing!! This was amazingly delicious and super fast and easy!! My family was so happy and is a definite keeper!

  188. Rachael

    Okay – seriously? I don’t know why I even bother with Pinterest or other blogs. I always find my way back here! Your Garlic Chicken Farfalle is on permament rotation and this is another winner. I doubled the pasta and added a bit more garlic (based on comments) and it was perfect. Absolutely delicious. Thank you!

  189. Rebecca {foodie with family}

    WOWZA! If I didn’t already have dinner baking I’d be all over this tonight. I imagine my 6 guys are going to flip when I make this for them. Creamy, sausage-y, pasta-y… You’ve pretty much hit all their favourite things in one fell swoop!

    1. Kristin @ Yellow Bliss Road

      Hi Jamie, thanks for sharing the link to my recipe. But you have some facts wrong. First, this isn’t Amanda’s recipe. She clearly states that it is a recipe from a cookbook, which I also state into post. Second, the recipe isn’t an exact match. I changed a few things.

      Amanda, I love your blog and love that you share your favorite recipes! It’s what we do and why we blog!! xoxo

  190. Gayle

    I found this on Pintrest and made it tonight. I needed to brown the sausage a little more, but I also added corn to it for a little veggie… It was very good and both my husband and kiddo liked it very much. Thank you for helping this mom who hates to cook.. :) This was super easy and will be made again soon

  191. Daly

    Made this tonight for some friends, they loved it!! I substituted the sausage for conecuh sausage and added some Tony’s seasoning and it was amazing! Thanks so much!

  192. Cindy

    I just had to thank you for posting this recipe. I have made it many times since you first posted it and it is on heavy rotation! It is easy, quick and so tasty — a wonderful meal.

  193. Nathalie (Personal Plates)

    Hi!! I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course!) and it was so good. I featured it on a weekly menu that I did on my blog. Thanks so much for this dish, I have already been asked to make it again :)

  194. Sarah

    I just stumbled across this on pinterest. I haven’t made it yet but I’m trying it tonight. It looked super yummy but I wasn’t completely convinced until I saw you and your husband’s picture on the side wearing Auburn shirts. Then I knew it had to be good ;) Can’t wait to try it and after looking through your blog a bit there’s a lot more yummy out there to try too! War Eagle :)

  195. Kyla

    Yum! It was super tasty! Though couldn’t find mild Ro-tel so made it with original – had a kick to it, but we loved it! Also, subbed Italian cheese blend instead of Monterey Jack because had that on hand. Definitely making this again! Was even good for lunch leftovers today :)

  196. Nhicar

    I just tried this and it tasted really good, thanks for sharing this :) Mine was a little soupy though. I couldn’t find ro-tel so I used del monte. Any suggestions on how to make it less soupy? Is it ok to add cornstarch or should I reduce the chicken stock?

  197. Heidi

    I made this tonight for dinner!! We loved it! My husband doesnt like tomatos so we blended the RoTel…definitely a recipe we will make again.

  198. Erin

    Has anyone ever tried this with spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles?trying to avoid the carbs and not sure if the veggie substitute would work, or get too soft, etc

    1. Brady

      Hey Erin…I’m trying to limit my gluten intake and was wondering about that too…maybe adding the Spag squash or zucchini noodles more towards the end? I think I’m gonna try it with zoodles (zucchini noodles) tonight and I’ll let you know :)

  199. Denisse

    I have a very picky husband especially when I try new recipes. Before he tried he said ” if don’t like this, I’m ordering pizza.” He finished it and said ” you need to make this the next time we have my parents over.” Needless to say he loved it and so did I….it was delicious!!!

  200. Shari

    Just made the spicy sausage pasta! My 16 year old daughter and I loved it!!! I used the original rotel, which still was a bit too spicy for my husband – who has heart burn issues. But folks, don’t hold that against the recipe…it was awesome! And it made much more than a serving for 4. Thank you for the great recipe!

  201. Heather

    I made this last night when we had my parents over for dinner. So yummy! Even my dad, who does not care for pasta or turkey, loved it!

  202. Lesley

    Going to make this recipe tonight. Sounds delicious!

    Just an FYI: your oil shouldn’t smoke. If you heat oil to its smoking point the chemical structure begins to change and becomes carcinogenic. Olive oil has a relatively low smoking point. Switch to canola oil for higher temperatures or cook at a lower temperature for more time.

  203. sgrammied

    This looks so good. Read many of the comments. QUESTION? – Can this be made with out the onions? I am allergic to onions, I can use onion powder, will that work?

  204. mits smith

    This recipe had my son written all over it, and he was all over this dinner. LOVED it, even though I had to pull him away from video games.

  205. Bree

    My husband NEVER believes me when I say I have a quick meal planned, but I was able to make it happen with this one! Got home late after my little boys t ball game, and this was on the table and in our tummies in 20 minutes. We all loved it. Thank you!

  206. Stefanie

    do you think this would work with spicy italian sausage and maybe the basil/italian diced tomatoes?! then not sure about monterey jack cheese with it…hmmm.

  207. Steph C.

    Oh my, this is so wonderful! We don’t have turkey sausage, so I used kielbasa. It was still out of this world good. I also used the hot Rotel. Definitely gives it a bite! This is so good that I am currently making it again right now. I made it a few days ago, and my husband was the lucky one that got to take the rest of the leftovers to work today. I wanted to use up the cream, green onions, and broth…. so here I am! I can’t wait! And it tastes even better as leftovers! (And I am not a leftovers person) :-D

  208. Sharon

    Amanda: this is fabulous. Made it tonight. Tired of cooking our usual foods and wanted to try something new. My husband (who is very picky) raved about it. His words were “you can make this any time”! Thank you for sharing this great recipe and giving us another good reiipe to add to our “keepers.”

  209. Caitlyn

    I’ve made this a handful of times now at least, and I love it!! Family loves it too! It’s on the stove as I type. Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

  210. Beth

    This has been on my Pinterest board forever. I finally made it on Wednesday night & it was a huge hit. Normally things are hit or miss with our four kiddos, but everyone loved this. I didn’t have Rotel, so I used the Italian flavored diced tomatoes, and I only had penne noodles. I just finished the leftovers for lunch (it’s even better reheated, because the smokiness of the sausage is soaked up by the noodles!) I even bought the cookbook on half.com & have already marked several recipes to try.

  211. Lori

    I tried this recipe. After following all the directions exactly and simmered while covered, it was still very liquid-y. It didn’t look saucy like yours, it looked watery. What did I do wrong?

  212. Julie Zeigler

    We just finished eating this dish and it was great. It actually turned into soup that we ate with a spoon. For my changes,I used almond milk,cheddar and added fresh spinach.

  213. Liz b

    I made this tonight with a few adjustments and it was great! I only mention it because i get nervous to do anything other than what is listed. I used light cream, added one chopped red pepper (when i added garlic) and used a regular pan but transferred to a baking dish for last step. It was great, thanks for the recipe!

  214. Samantha

    Hi Amanda,
    The chopped onions in the freezer section are amazing and thanks to you it’s a super easy shortcut in my home now for dinner time. I have one baby but babysit three others, so I am constantly running around and need a quick dinner. This dinner is out of this world!!! I used 2 cans of rotel LOL and about 3/4 cup of heavy shipping cream and chicken sausage kielbasa..WOWWW it was a little spicy cause of the 2 cans but I really wanted it to be spicy :) This is awesome and everyone should try it!! I want to try it with the diced tomatoes with garlic and onion instead of the rotel just to see how it is non – spicy version.

  215. Deanna

    Love the recipe, second time making it. BUT the town house ad will not go away and it covers the recipe completely. Please get rid of the annoying popup ad or at least stick it on the side. (I am using my Kindle so it may look different for others)

  216. Nicole

    Made this for dinner tonight. It was fantastic! Followed the recipe exactly, except I subbed out the rotel for fire roasted diced tomatoes. Thanks for an easy meal!

  217. AmyS

    Made this tonight and it has great flavor. But, mine turned out soupy. Not sure what I did wrong? Only difference is I used quinoa pasta. Could that be it?

  218. Marcy B.

    OMG, its on the stove now and it smells amazing. I didn’t have any chicken broth despite my last minute store run so I had to make some, hence the addition of sliced chicken breast to our meal. It smells so awesome I know it will be fabulous. Thanks!

  219. Nickelle

    I feel like I should get down on my knees and worship you. This is the most AMAZING dish I have EVER tasted. I just made it tonight and it is so good I want to eat it all to myself! I had to force myself to stop when I was full.

  220. Tracie

    This was easy and delicious. Doubled the recipe for a large group. Everyone loved it. Made your chess cake for dessert. It’s the best version of the recipe I’ve tried. Gooey and rich!!! Thank you so much. Will be trying more of your recipes.

  221. Amanda

    I am making this tonight! The tip on the frozen onions was fabulous, I never thought of that and now I use it for all my recipes. Thanks.

  222. Crystal

    As someone who never comments I had to tonight. This meal was delicious! Came out exactly as described which is awesome and rare. I’ve now scoured your site pinning recipe after recipe. As a mom of a toddler with a baby on the way yummy dinners that don’t require 15 pots and 47 ingredients is what I need more of in my life and you’ve hit the nail on the head! So thank you and keep cooking and blogging :)

  223. Leslie

    Thanks for mentioning the sugar in your chicken broth issue. Years ago I went on the high protein, almost no carb diet & it didn’t take long before I could taste sugar in just about everything you wouldn’t expect it to be in. Same with salt. But I sure would not have expected chicken broth! Now I will read the labels more carefully.

    1. Amanda

      Be sure to broil long enough after cooking and you can add a little more cheese to the sauce to thicken. :) Hope this helps! :)

  224. Linda Town4es

    I was looking for a nice pasta dish so I headed on over to pintrest and there it was it looked so cheesy and creamy and good just finished my first plate and headed to the kitchen for another I will be making this a lot from now on thanks for sharing

  225. Kelly

    Thanks for the recipe! It was so spicy though, my kids wouldn’t touch it. Next time I’ll use a can of tomatoes in place of the rotel. The flavor was spot on though, just needs some adjustments for heat. Broiling at the end is totally the finisher for this dish. Way to go!

  226. sandra

    Thanks for sharing this great recipe. I tryed it out today and its very simple, fast and delicious. The kids love it.

    Greetings from Germany,
    Sandra

  227. Hillary

    I made this tonight and it tastes very good. Mine came out very juicy meaning there was pool when I took a scoop and it didn’t hold together. Like soup. Followed the directions pretty closely so I’m wondering what happened…

  228. Karen

    Found this on Pinterest today and, conveniently, had most of the ingredients. All except cream….so I used skim milk and stirred in some low fat cream cheese. Worked like a charm. The family LOVED this. Can’t wait to look at your other recipes!

  229. Liz

    Thanks for such awesome step by step instruction. This looks delicious! I love Americas Test Kitchen also, their recipes are almost always spot on.

  230. Jen

    This was awesome. I couldn’t find the smoked sausage, so I used hot italian turkey sausage links that I found. I used regular diced tomatoes bc I was afraid the chiles would make it too spicy with the hot sausage. I used half and half instead of cream. I’ve heard that you can substitute almond milk in any recipe that calls for cream, so I might try that next time. I used Italian 5 cheese blend, which made it gooey and stringy and amazing. I’m obsessed with the one pot idea. I don’t have an oven safe skillet, so I had to skip that step. Oh well!!!!! Thanks for such an great recipe :):):)

  231. Anne

    I made this last weekend and I LOVED it. So did my husband. I would like to take it to a friend who is sick. Any suggestions on how to prepare it so it tastes delicious when they reheat it? Any reheating ideas? Thanks.

    1. Nicole

      I would cook the dish in a pan as directed, then mix in the cheese and transfer it to a disposable aluminum pan, add the extra cheese and onions on top, and refrigerate it. When your friend is ready to reheat, stick it in the oven until heated through, then broil.

  232. Heidi Masai

    I never comment on the recipes I try I had to comment on this one. Loved this dish. My husband and grandson loved it as well. Thank you.

  233. Stephanie

    Wow! I love this recipe and so does the rest of the family! I have made it twice in the last couple of weeks. It is one of our new go-to-recipes around the house. Yum!!!

  234. Larry Burdge

    Amanda, I am new to Pinterest but love the recipes they offer. I ran across your spicy sausage pasta recipe and was hooked by a couple of things. I consider myself a “foodie” and loved it when you said you like things that knock your socks off with flavor. I’ve made the same comment before and because I am a visual learner I love the pics that show the step by step process in completing a recipe. Your comments along the way are great and even add to my desire to want to make the dish. Great job in your delivery!

  235. Cathie

    Thanks so much, Amanda – found this on Pinterest last night and made it for hubby’s dinner (I’m a vegetarian). Hubby loved it! Totally easy, too! I didn’t have or use the cream – 1/2 c 2% milk with tablespoon of lowfat plain Greek yogurt, used my own broth, fresh onion – came out fabulous! He just called to tell me he’s having it for lunch again today and said “this is truly delicious!” Will add some veggies next time – but this basically is perfect! Kudoso to you – thank you, Amanda!

  236. Keli

    This was a hit. My husband loved it and the kids liked it but thought it was a tad spicy. Mine ended up runny too so I think next time I will half the R-Tel (I doubled the recipe) and maybe reduce the broth a little. A keeper for sure though.

  237. Heather

    Delicious! My family and I loved it! I spiced it up a little bit more using some habanero cheddar, hot but super good, thanks!

  238. Meech

    I’ve been looking for a way to use smoked sausage and this looks delicious! I love the frozen onion tip too. Seriously brilliant. I hate chopping onions! Can’t wait to try this. Any suggestions on what to serve with it?

  239. Gina

    I made this last night for dinner. I used Premio Hot Sausage bc I couldnt find smoke sausage. It was SPICY good thing i like spicy food. But I did try the pasta without the sausage and let me tell you it was delicious definitely will be a go to dinner recipe definitely going to use different meats. Thanks for posting and looking forward to trying some of your other recipes :)

  240. Heather

    This recipe looks AMAZING. However, when I went to check the nutritional information I was unable to locate. Can anyone tell me what the nutrition info is? I’m a diabetic and have to know before I can make the dish!

    Thanks!

  241. Marni G

    This was super yummy! I substituted the Rotel tomatoes with fire roasted ones as most of my family doesn’t like spicy things. It was a fantastically easy, quick and very tasty recipe. Thank you for sharing!

  242. suzhasbighair

    found this via pinterest- HUGE hit in our house with teen boys! currently making it a 2nd time as i type this… thank you!

  243. Ashley

    I was just wondering if you could make and then freeze? Or if I should make it without the noodles, and then freeze? What would you recommend? My husband would FREAK for this! Thanks for posting and we will be trying after we come back from vacation.

  244. Michelle

    Can’t wait to try this recipe. We recently discovered the Butterball Smoked Turkey Sausage and agree totally!! It’s amazing!!

  245. Kayle

    I have made this twice now and it is definitely a keeper! We use regular Ro-Tel because we like spice. I love that you don’t have to cook the pasta on it’s own! Thanks for sharing this awesome find!! I just had to share how satisfied we were with the dish.

  246. Beth

    Oh this sounds yummy! I know the perfect sausage to use with this, we buy this chicken apple sausage at costco. It’s nice to find a pasta recipe for once that can be made in one skillet ^_^.

  247. Ashley

    I made this last night – OH MY was it delicious. Thanks so much for sharing! I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch!

    1. Michelle Flores

      This meal was a huge hit ! Everybody loved it . Incredibly tasty. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!! Thank you.






  248. sue @ tea, love, and cookies

    I pinned this last weekend, and just bought a package of hot pepper shells from the farmer’s market today. I can’t wait to make this with the shells. I figure it I cut the sausage into smaller pieces, it will work really well.

    Thanks for a great recipe!

  249. Theresa

    First for vegetarians I think I would try kidney or black beans in place of the meat (and of course veggie broth). For me and the kid!
    Second for meat eaters I think this would be fabulous with chorizo sausage! For the husband…

  250. Shelby

    I’m not big on cream sauce.. don’t know why but it grosses me out. anything is can substitute? or ok to leave the cream out? Looks delish!

  251. Sarah

    I just made this last night. It was really, really delicious; BUT don’t make the mistake of adding the cream/milk before it comes to a boil. Add it after the boil has come down to a simmer, otherwise it will seperate like mine did. It still tasted awesome, but it looked kinda gross for a while (after stirring the cheese in, it looked more normal). I also only added a little more than 1 & 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, and I had to use the extra cheese I had to make it less runny. No one complained about that, though!!

    Great recipe, though. Thank you!!

  252. Tina

    I’ve had that cookbook since it came out and I think I missed this recipe, but saw it on Pinterest and wanted to give it a try. SO easy, SO yummy, it made enough for my family of 5 and everyone loved it. I especially loved that it was cooked in one pan! I will definitely try this again and will play around with it a bit to lighten it up. Now, I have to go back to that cookbook and see what else I’ve missed! Thanks for sharing!

  253. Andrea G.

    This is so delicious and simple! I have made it several times and am making it again this week :) I usually make it with Butterball Turkey Sausage (I first bought it b/c it was on sale, but loved it so much it’s now “my sausage”). I also am not all about ‘spicy’, so I use a can of regular diced tomatoes instead of Rotel. I’ve also made it with gluten free pasta for a GF friend. Always turns out great!

  254. Darla Carroll

    Just wanted to leave my review…made this this past weekend and it was DELICIOUS!!! A huge hit with everyone who tried it. Loved that it was so simple and one dish! Will be making this again, thanks for sharing ; )

  255. Sandy

    Made last night-was spicy but great. Used Al Fresco Italian chicken sausage, light cream and about 5 oz. Of sliced mushrooms

    A real keeper!!

  256. Nicole

    Made this last night & while it was definitely easy & delicious, I had to add a bit of corn starch to thicken up the sauce. I followed the recipe exactly so I’m not sure why the sauce was a little runny. Any ideas? I’d love to make it again.

    1. Amanda

      So sorry about that Nicole! Maybe use more pasta (12-16 oz) or less broth (1.5 cups). You can always add more cheese at the end to easily thicken up the sauce. Hope this helps! :)

  257. Jamie

    I usually only do smoked sausage on the grill, but I thought I’d try this. I’m glad I did! Very good, and even my very picky 21 month old gobbled it up!

  258. Brenda

    Absolutely amazing! My whole family raved the entire time we were eating. I had to use Bowie pasta, since that’s what I had on hand, and it was delish!

  259. Denise

    My husband loved this recipe! I’m not big into spicy food, but he loves it. Plus smoked sausage is his favorite. This recipe had a good balance of spice. Thank you for introducing me to frozen onions too! Brilliant idea!!!

  260. Paige

    Made this tonight, nd we loved it. After reading several comments about it being soupy, I added 10-12 oz of pasta istead of the 8. It was perfect! This will be a regular!

  261. Kristina

    I cooked this dish tonight with a few substitutions/tweaks because I was aiming for a slightly different flavor:

    1. Instead of heavy cream, I used coconut milk and twice the amount of it since I knew I was going to add veggies.
    2. Added frozen green peas while the pasta cooked and then towards the end I added bunches of spinach to swirl in.
    3. Red onions instead of white onions and six cloves of garlic instead of two.
    4. Rotel Lime & Cilantro instead of Mild.
    5. I omitted the cheese all together because I didn’t have any on hand and didn’t think it would marry well with the changes I was making.
    6. Added turmeric, ground sage, and tarragon for spices and herbs.

    Wow, it turned out delicious! It has an amazing spicy Indian curry type of flavor. If that level of spicy isn’t enjoyed, I would stick w/the Mild Rotel, white onions, and two cloves of garlic. Thanks for the meal inspiration. I’ll keep both versions in my recipe file. :)

  262. Michelle

    I’ve made this recipe a handful of times now (found via Pinterest), and it is a huge winner! But what I really wanted to come and say is – THANKYOU for the tip on using the frozen chopped onions! I didn’t even know they existed before, and now I keep’em on hand & that’s all I use in recipes w/diced or chopped onions. Brilliant!

    Thank you so much :)
    ~ gem

  263. Brittany

    This looked so amazing so I sent my fiancé out to go get all the stuff idk what I did wrong but it came out like soup :( I’m still gonna eat it though! Maybe it’s because I couldn’t fit the pasta in the skillet?

  264. Vanessa

    I really want to make this soon, but am watching what I eat. I see you said the calories can be found on caloriecount.com. Did you use the recipe analyzer? It says 765 calories per serving. Does that sound right to you? This looks sooooooooooooooooo good! :)

  265. Jennifer

    This was AMAZING!!!! My husband took one bite and said daaaaaaang. I used vegetable pasta and kept everything else the same, even the chicken broth. SO good!!!!!

  266. Cairsten

    This is probably one of my most favorite finds on Pinterest! Thank you for sharing! It’s perfect for weeknights and my bf and I fight over the leftovers every time.

  267. Andrea

    Found this recipe on Pinterest. Definitely family approved. I laughed when reading the comments about how spicy the dish was to others. Being from Louisiana and living in Texas, I bumped the spices up considerably – habanero rotel, jalapeno sausage, pepper jack cheese and Tony Chachere’s instead of salt and pepper. Have placed it on my monthly recipe list. Thank you!

  268. Jennifer Allen

    The first time I made this is was perfect and delicious. Just made it again. I only had regular chix broth and that’s the only thing I did different. It came out super watery! Could not using low sodium broth have caused this?

  269. Jade

    Way to make people hungry, that looks so good, and I might steal your frozen bagged onion idea.
    Anyway I can’t wait to try this, thank you for posting it .

  270. Lorraine

    WINNER!!! Just tried this tonight, and it was Awesome! I used Hot Italian Sausage, and regular diced tomatoes, and it was perfect. Will make this again and again.

  271. Laura

    My husband was very skeptical about this recipe (he doesn’t like to try new things) but I told him that he was gonna try it anyway. I was dancing around when he had to tell me that he loved it! Yup, I was gloating. Thanks for giving me something super fantastic that I can now add to our short list of rotating menu! :)

    1. Laura

      Oh and I also used whole wheat pasta, half and half instead of heavy whipping along with the Ekrich turkey sausage which I personally think is better than butterball and it was still AMAZING!

  272. Erin

    I cannot tell you how happy it made me that you used healthy (-ier) ingredients! I clicked on the link just because it looked yummy and I love smoked sausage, but I didn’t even really have a hope that the ingredients would be non MSG, organic etc. Can’t wait to make this next week! Thank you!!

  273. Rachel

    Hi Amanda, this recipe calls for 8 oz of penne pasta that doesn’t seem like a lot. I have a box of 1 lb so that is to much? Help? Thank you. Rachel

  274. Carol

    Made this for my picky eaters tonight, doubling the recipe. They’ve practically INHALED it! This is definitely going into my regular meal rotation, it was a huge hit!! Thanks so much!

  275. Sarah

    Made this last night and my Boyfriend went back for 2nd ‘s. He absolutely LOVED it. I’m also compiling a cookbook for my company….I will definitely include this one. It is a MUST MAKE and a MUST SHARE!

  276. Kim Martin

    We LOVED this recipe!!!! That is a keeper, will be making often… The flavor was delicious with the sausage & the creamy mixture…. thanks for posting..

  277. Christy

    I made this last night for dinner & it was amazing! Super easy, fast and really yummy. I will definitely make this again! Thanks so much.

  278. Cortney

    This was do good! I used 1% milk instead of the heavy cream. I added a tablespoon of whole wheat flour to help thicken the sauce. I also used whole wheat pasta and added a pound of shrimp! This is definetly a keeper! I think I may try it with chicken next time instead of the sausage. Thanks for the great recipe!

  279. Jenni C

    I made this for dinner tonight. We’re still eating actually. It’s pretty good, I like the pasta, just not the sausage, but then again I knew that going into this meal. I just move it to the side and transfer to the fiance’s plate and he eats it, lol. I’ll make this again, but I’ll try it with Chicken next time.

  280. Carrie

    Love, love this recipe! Found it on Pinterest & a similar one through your blog. I have made it several times through the last few weeks. Cooking the pasta along with the other ingredients in ONE pot was a revelation! Thanks for sharing.

  281. Linda

    My son is allergic to tomatoes, has anyone tried this without the rotel, or know of something that I could use as a substitute?
    Thanks

  282. Jj

    This was good! Sauce was runny after 15 minutes so I let it simmer for 5 minutes more and it turned out perfectly, with just enough liquid for the cheese to mix with. I used shells instead of penne and subbed chives for scallions but otherwise I followed the recipe exactly. The Rotel (mild) added plenty of heat for those who aren’t into spicy food. I seasoned with salt before the addition of cheese, thinking it might be salty enough with the sausage, but it needed a pinch of extra salt to round out the flavors. I am going to use this a base recipe for others flavors and add-ins. Thank you for a delicious recipe!

  283. Nora

    Oh my goodness, this sounds simply yum! I must make this for my family very soon. I just love turkey sausage. Didn’t you find the Organic GF broth a lot more pricey? Also, I think I’ll need to skip the whipping cream!

  284. Chris

    I’ve made this again and again; it’s delicious! It’s a great alternative too when looking for a different way to serve sausage. Plus, sometimes I sub Greek yogurt for the heavy cream if I’m out. Works well. Thanks again for the recipe.

  285. Bunny

    For the foreigners without access to rotel with green chilies: use regular diced tomatoes and one or more green chili. I measure and mix all the liquids and add chopped green chilies before I chop the onion etc to give the flavors a few minutes to blend, but that step is probably not necessary.

    As I’m only cooking for one I halve the recipe, add two green chilies, 2tbsp onion (not a huge fan) and one bag of boil-in-bag rice to make it gluten free (just open the bag and dump the rice in). Tastes ahmaazing!

  286. Mundai

    Delicious! Used Andouille sausage for a little kick and added red pepper flakes. My husband is a HUGE fan–love that it’s made with pantry staples :) Thanks for posting, now off to cruise your site for more!

  287. Dessiree

    Just made this and snuck a bite of it before putting it in the oven… I must say this is amazing….
    the only thing I did differently was use whole wheat pasta… this will definitely be a regular around here

  288. David

    Wowee! A pasta dish where dry pasta can be used. Loving this. So eager to taste it. Thank you for giving this to us.

  289. Hippie2MARS

    I think I’ve commented on this recipe before, but I wanted to let you know that this dish has become favorite meal in our house. It’s so easy to throw together and I almost always have these items on hand. I made it with chicken at my aunt’s house a few months ago and my newly married (and new to cooking) cousin immediately claimed it to be the very next recipe she was going to make. Thanks for a fantastic recipe that turns out perfectly every time.

  290. Kari MacKinnon

    Hi there. Made this the other night and it was delicious. I didn’t have smokeys so I used Italian sausage. We don’t have Rotel here – (is it salsa or canned chopped tomatoes?)so I substituted 10 oz of mild salsa. I also didn’t have cream so I used sour cream. I will make it again with the recipe as described, but those substitutions worked out just fine. Very tasty!

  291. Jody

    Made this, and it was very good & easy! We aren’t huge on spicy, and I accidently bought regular Ro*tel and not the mild..I will try it again with the mild for sure.

  292. Kim

    Made this tonight for dinner because it seemed like a dish that my family would love! Well, guess what! We did!!! I used Rotel original instead of mild because we love heat and extra spicy. Other than that, made the recipe exactly like it is posted! So easy and very good! My husband said he wants me to make it again and it’s a keeper!! Thank you!!!

  293. Amanda

    Your Kevin sounds just like mine(asks when I’m making stuff next.. Before we’re done eating) This looks wonderful! I will definitely be making it :)

  294. Martha

    I was looking through Pinterest, looking for something different to make for dinner, stumbled across this recipe and made it! It was fabulous! It looked awesome and smelled like Heaven! Thanks for posting this recipe!

  295. Chelsey Morrow

    I did tweak a few of the proportions but my ultra picky husband loved it! I was thinking about adding some peppers to it! Might have to be trial and error on that one but so far I have a new dish that my husband likes.

  296. Keri

    Thank you for this recipe! It has officially become one of our staple suppers. :) I add fresh chopped spinach right at the end for an extra boost. And have you discovered Heartland pasta yet? It’s made with veggies and is sooo good!

  297. Beth

    Love, love, love this recipe! I’ve made this so many times since I found it several months ago. I always add a little cream when reheating to make it creamy since the pasta does seem to soak up if there’s leftovers. (It’s just the two of us, usually.) I love the idea of the frozen onions! Will be on grocery list for next trip to store!

  298. Britta

    Made this tonight & it was a BIG hit! Some good old fashion comfort creamy-goodness food. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing :)

  299. Cara

    I made this last night and it was very good. The only thing I will do differently next time is omit three salt. The turkey sausage made it plenty salty so the extra salt just made it overly salty.

  300. Shannon

    Made this tonight. As far as I’m concerned, it was OK… my husband, however, thought it was absolutely delicious! I’ve been trying a bunch of new recipes & he made sure to tell me that this one was a keeper. So, even though I could probably go without ever eating or cooking this again, looks like I won’t get the opportunity! :)

    PS- If you’re not big on salt, I would leave out the 1/2 tsp. I’m not a big salt eater & this was on the verge of being too salty for me; I’m assuming the Rotel is the cause.

  301. Tara

    THIS IS AMAZING! I doubled the recipe because my family loves leftovers. So easy. So delicious. I love smoked sausage but get tired of not having versatile recipes for it. My son has IBS and green chiles are not his friend so we did half mild rotel and half tomatoes. Turned out fabulous. And super easy, my eight year old daughter did a lot of it herself (supervised of course)! She is a great cook! This is going in the rotation! Thanks for the frozen onion cheat! What a timesaver. I always wondered how they turned out… NO GOING BACK!

  302. Kristin

    Came over from Pinterest!! Just made this and it definitely was good! I think next time I’ll skip the smoked sausage and add boneless skinless chicken breast strips instead! The smokey flavor was a bit too much for my hubby and I. But definitely something we will make again! I’ll forward this recipe on to my parents as my father LOVES smoked flavors!! Thanks for a great recipe!!

  303. Jennifer Howland

    Amanda, this was SO GOOD!! Thank you for sharing the recipe :) And thank you for recommending the Butter Ball turkey sausage…we cannot tell a difference between it and regular, other than it being WAY less greasy than regular smoked sausage :) We’ve put this on our monthly menu rotation…uber delish :D

  304. Nichole

    This looks great…and like something my entire family will actually eat! I’m a HUGE fan of ATK…we subscribe to Cooks Illustrated (print and online), but it looks like I need to go buy another cookbook!

  305. Christine Joan

    I made this for my boyfriend, brother, and friend tonight (the boys), and the pan is clean!! The boys loved it! (So did I!) This dish was so easy to make, and cleanup is even easier. This recipe will definitely be a staple at my house!

  306. Carrie

    I made this last night and it was sooooooo good! My husband and I bother were practically licking our plates! I didn’t want the added fat from the heavy cream, so I substituted and few tablespoons of fat free sour cream intead, and it was awesome! I have already passed this recipe on to my coworkers. Thank you for sharing!

  307. Andrea

    This looks so good and I am looking forward to making it tonight.
    I am going to use whole wheat penne though. I think although it may take a bit longer, it well come out just as well. Thanks for sharing!! :-)

  308. jazmin

    I made this recipe today and it came out super delicious. I did not have sausage but I added ham and it was delicious. I also didn’t have chicken stock but I did have chicken bullions ;) Also instead of Rotel I just boiled 4 tomatoes and then blended them with chopped jalapeños (2). This recipe is definitely a keeper! Thank you for the recipe :-)

  309. Nicole G

    I made this last night and I got a 2 thumbs up from my hubby. It was too spicy for my 3 year old but it was awesome. We make our own farmer sausage that is seasoned so I used that and I cut out the salt since our sausage is plenty salty. And instead of heavy whipping cream I used regular whipping creme. Definately will be making again.

  310. JB

    I absolutely cannot wait to try this! I also just put that cookbook on hold at the library. Can’t wait to get my hands on it and try to new recipes!

  311. Rebecca

    This was delicious! I didn’t add any salt (my sausage was pretty salty) and only used half the amount of pepper. I also used 1.5 cups diced tomatoes with green chilies (even mild Rotel is too hot for me) and it was quite spicy. Another keeper! Thank you so much!

  312. Emily S

    Made this last night – and it was SO GOOD. My husband and I cleaned the entire pan – the ingredients worked SO well together. I didn’t have any rotel on hand, so I used diced tomatoes + some italian seasoning + red pepper flakes. Definitely adding this to my stash – it just tasted SO GOOD.

  313. Ann Sloane

    Tried this recipe last night. All LOVED it! I used Trader Joe’s frozen Roasted/Fired Green Peppers and Onions(always in my freezer) along with fresh onions and also used Sharp Cheddar Cheese. All are looking forward to leftovers this evening!

  314. Heather

    Hi! So-can you clarify the dry pasta amount? I know it says 8oz, but that to me would be 1 cup? When I measured out the entire box that is 1lb(16oz?), it measures 4+ cups of dry pasta. I just don’t know if I should add 2 cups of the pasta, or the whole box, or what!! Any help would be so appreciated!

  315. Jae M

    Just found this recipe while searching for recipes that used smoked beef sausages… looks DELISH!! will be trying it tonight with a side salad and rolls.. will be visiting your blog often

  316. Debbie

    This was one of my favorite recipes from 2012. I’ve made it several times and both my husband and I love it. I’ve shared it with many friends too. Thank you for this one.

  317. TracyB

    This was really good! For some reason though even with the mild rotel it was very spicy. My daughter said it was too spicy for her to eat. I think next time I will just use petite diced tomatoes.

  318. Elaine

    I’ve made this 3 times already-once with regular Rotel instead of Mild (our store was out). Always FABULOUS! I hid the leftovers in the back of the fridge so I’d be able to have them for lunch the next day, it was THAT good.

  319. A. Ramos

    This dish is outstanding very easy to prepare would be great during the week day after a long day at work. Served it up with some broccoli and rice and cheese and dinner rolls. I plan to make this again real soon.

  320. Karren

    I am such a PICKY PICKY eater and the kitchen and I do not get along…at all :(
    I stumbled upon your blog after googling pulled pork instructions – how much time to roast the pork (as there are a zillion varying receipes) and I liked yours. I started looking at your other receipes and thought “not only does this stuff look good, even someone like ME could make it”. THANK YOU! I have added most of your recipes to my folder. The only thing I am changing in them is the tomatao bits (I cant stand tomatos) but im sure your receipes will still be amazing!

  321. Natali

    Thank you for this recipe! My husband requested I try making something with sausage, and though we’ve been married over ten years, I never have before! (Silly, I know.) This was my first sausage recipe to try, and it was a huge hit with the whole family. Thanks so much! I hope it’s ok, I linked your recipe in my weekly meal plan (with credit and a link back of course). Bravo, and thanks! http://www.thethinkingblonde.com/2012/12/whats-for-dinner-this-week-1292012.html

  322. Lauren

    Made this tonight.. It was delicious. Made a few changes though I used jimmy deans hot sausage and I put slices of cheddar and Colby jack cheese on top.. Thank you for this recipe!

  323. Melissa

    Super delicious! Made it tonight and am in love. My girlfriend shared a ‘hotdog casserole’ with me a while ago and it is kind of the same thing…. but this takes it to another level!! Thanks

  324. celene

    WOW…just made this recipe for my family, it is delicious….i had to add about 1/4c more chicken broth because the pasta was not done and most of the liquid had evaporated, and used one whole fresh onion, but love the idea of frozen, will have to look for it next time. thanks this gave us something different and yummy to eat…..paired it with some toasty sourdough bread with garlic butter.

  325. Darlene Jungman

    My family loved it! And, my husband is extra hard to please. Added a little corn to the recipe and kept everything else the same.

  326. Jill

    Made this last night for my large and ” difficult to please everyone” family. It was a big hit ! SCORE ! easy, yummy and quick. I did add extra cheese on top. Thank you !

  327. Donna Valdez

    I have the same cookbook & mine has the flags all over it just like yours! Great minds…The recipes are so simple & yummy. A very wise investment. :-)

  328. Vicky Lynn

    Found this through Pinterest. Excellent recipe! I followed your recipe almost exactly. I realized I didn’t have any RoTel on hand so I used a can of petite diced tomatoes and chopped up some jalapenos and a dash of cayenne. I also “girled it up” a bit and added a handful of frozen peas at the end. This was very good! Definitely one I’ll use again frequently.

  329. Allissia

    This pasta dish is so delicious. I’ve made it 3 times in the last few months. The only change I made this last time was using 2% milk instead of cream and it is still just as creamy plus dropping a few calories. Thanks for such a yummy and EASY recipe!

  330. Mikaela

    I made this dish tonight for supper. Though it may appear tastier then it really is, it is indeed as simple as they say. I may try making a variation of this again, but probably not the exact same.

  331. Terri

    I made this for dinner tonight. Turned out perfect! I don’t like cheese so I took mine out of the pan before adding the cheese and broiling. This is going into our regular dinner rotation. So easy and delicious! Thank you for the recipe.

  332. Christie Armstrong

    This was very easy and the taste was great, however, I must have done something wrong because it was very runny. It will probably be perfect for leftovers but it was a little soupy. But I will put it in the rotation and make again.

  333. Stacy Coody

    I just wanted to tell you that I fixed this last night. Besides the fact that I used HOT rotel with my hot sausage and made it too hot, it was delish. I thought I was at Macaroni Grill or Olive Garden. Just don’t use the rotel with the habanero peppers and you will love this dish. It is definitely a keeper. Thank you so much.

  334. Pilar

    I whipped this wonderful dish up on a busy Friday night. Our family and dinner guests looooved it. It is already been requested as a mid week birthday dinner by my somewhat picky teen daughter! I used the fat Italian links by Johnsonville and it had the right amount of kick and sweet tang. I added more pasta and it was perfect. Loving not having to prep the pasta ahead of time. While it was all cooking, I made the Banana Cream with PB and Chocolate Ice Cream. That was a huge hit too. Yum all the way around!

  335. Winnie

    This looks delicious. I plan to make it this weekend. I have to use regular smoked sausage as it is what I have on hand. Glad to know the turkey one is good. I will buy it next time.

  336. Nico P.

    First off, let me say I found this recipe on Pinterest and have made it SO many times because it is delicious!

    I have a couple tweaks I would recommend because I’ve made it so many times:
    1. Use more pasta than it calls for. The meat to pasta ratio is out of control, for me personally. I love more meat in these types of dishes, but I like to have a little pasta with my meat, lol! It is too much (for me) without more pasta!
    2. If you like spicy (like me) use regular Ro-Tel (not mild) and for a good extra kick use just a pinch of red pepper flakes.
    3. Do NOT use the oil to sautee the onions & sausage unless you are using turkey sausage. I use smoked beef sausage, and even leaving the oil out I actually drain off almost all the oil before adding the garlic & proceeding with the recipe. I basically reserve probably about a little less than a Tbsp.

  337. Angela Blair

    C’mon…not Conecuh sausage? Well, I might try this, but I have a freezer full of Conecuh we imported straight from the smokehouse the last time I was in Alabama (we now live in Northern Virginia). War Eagle. Class of ’82.

  338. Tawnie

    I’ve made this several times and i my husband loves it! We like things spicy so I use the Rotel Hot. So easy and so flavorful! America’s Test Kitchen really scored on this one, thanks for sharing. I love your blog! You guys are too cute :)

  339. shuggies mom

    this is the 3rd time making this dish. I have played with it a bit, but not too much. I stayed true to the recipe the first time, but on the second I used sharp cheddar cheese and I’m using penne pasta. My daughter LOVES it. She went home and made her own. I like it better with the cheddar, tastier. Thank you and America’s Test Kitchen (I subscribe to Cooks Illustrated-great cooking reference). And LOVE the one pot meal-I don’t like to cook for just myself n make a big mess.

  340. Patti

    Made this last night, very tasty, I am thinking next time i want to add shrimp to the dish as well. Yummy Yum, thanks for the great recipe!

  341. Carla

    Hi Kevin and Amanda, I am a subbie of You Tube’s Mizfachion who sent me to your website. A couple of days ago she did your Spicy Sausage Pasta receipe. She took us thru it step by step making it look soooooo easy and so so GOOD, and the part I liked about it was that it didn’t take long to cook. I will definitely try this receipe!!!!!!

  342. LaTonia Harmon

    I substituted the turkey sausage with regular Eckridge stuffed with jalapeño and cheddar. My husband looooves spicy meals and he raved about this one! I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks for posting.

  343. Cameron

    I made this for my family and they all loved it! Baking it helped the thinness of the liquid, mine wasn’t runny at all! I did use two cups of cheese instead of one, though. Amazing! Thank you!

  344. Kelsey

    As the previous commenters noted, this meal is just delicious. It tasted like pure comfort food! Pretty sure my family will be requesting I make it again…this week!

  345. Nora

    This is so delicious! We have been making this for a little while now (tonight was our fourth time!) We just love it! Had to share tonight I added fresh (from the garden) squash, zucchni, and jalapeno! Oh, my it was the best ever. Thank you for sharing such a simple and Wonderful receipe!!!

  346. Tracie

    Made this for dinner tonight & it was insanely DELICIOUS; everyone loved it :) Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. This one is definitely a keeper!!

  347. Stacey

    Oh my goodness, this dish is wonderful! My husband and I loved it so much…I will be making it again soon. Thanks for sharing!!!

  348. Lizzy

    Oh my goodness! I came across your blog through Pinterest and I just about bookmarked every recipe! I made this one tonight but with veggie sausages, added some zucchini and bell peppers and used low-fat dairy. Still out of this world!

  349. Bryana

    Delicious! I’ve been adding a can of quartered artichoke hearts as well – I’ve made it four times in two weeks!

  350. Lisa C

    yes what would your recommendations be for freezing it? I LOVED this and it appears to be a good possibility for freezing…just not sure what step to stop the cooking….the simmering or the broiling? Or simmer all the way, stir in cheese, dethaw, cook covered for a bit then broil? Next time I will use the mild rotel as it was bit too much for me…but my hubby will think it’s nothing with spices.

  351. Natasha

    I’ve made this 4 or 5 times already and I can’t get enough of it. It’s the perfect solution for when I’m feeling lazy. One pot meals are my favourite Monday night dinners!

  352. jen

    Another great recipe! Mine turned out a slight bit runny, but I will add a little more pasta next time or reduce the chicken broth.

  353. Lindsey

    Thank you for posting this recipe- I found it on Pinterest. My husband and I loved it and will be making it again. Thank you also for introducing me to frozen chopped onions; I had no idea they existed, what a time saver!

  354. amy @ fearless homemaker

    made this tonight for my One New Dinner A Week challenge for 2012 + it turned out great! both hubs + i loved it. =) I added sautéed zucchini to add some veggies, + swapped the heavy cream for milk to healthify it a bit. delicious!

  355. Jaime

    I just made this and it was AMAZING! By far my favorite thing I have ever made. Thank you for sharing these. I shared it with some people too. We loved it!

  356. Annie

    Ohhh my, I made this tonight and it was sooooo delicious! My husband and his friends were ranting and raving. I have a home full of full and happy Marines. Thanks for posting the recipe!! =)

  357. Heather

    Fool proof and delish!

    I had my husband make this tonight since I was coaching soccer. He said it was easy to make and ALL my kids had 2nd and 3rd helpings (ages 6,7 & 10). I’m shocked that they all loved it – noodles and sausage. Especially since I didn’t buy the mild Ro-Tel tomatoes which I will buy next time.

    Thanks!
    Heather

  358. Michelle

    I just made this and it was excellent. I actually grilled the turkey sausage yesterday. Then this morning I completed all the steps up through simmering. Then I poured it in a Pyrex dish and put in fridge until I got home from work. Then t covered in foil and heated in oven for 20 minutes. Then took off foil topped with cheese and scallions and then broiled it. Great make ahead recipe.

  359. Michelle

    I just made this and it was excellent. I actually grilled the turkey sausage yesterday. Then this morning I completed all the steps up through simmering. Then I poured it in a Pyrex dish and put in fridge until I got home from work. Then t covered in foil and heated in oven for 20 minutes. Then took off foil topped with cheese and scallions and then broiled it. Great make ahead recipe.

  360. Kristy

    I tried this tonight, and it was wonderful! A little bit of a kick but nothing extreme (and I’m a baby when it comes to hot foods). I’ll definitely be making this again – thanks for sharing it!

  361. Shannon

    I just made this tonight and it was delicious! My sauce was a bit on the runny side though. Didn’t look quite the same as yours. I wonder if I should use just a bit less chicken broth next time…

    1. Beth

      I made it tonight, and mine was kind of runny as well. I’m thinking also that next time I’ll use less chicken broth, maybe only 1 1/2 cups, or even a little less than that.

  362. Tiffani

    Yum! We had this tonight and loved it! We topped it with a pile of lightly sauteed zucchini which was really good mixed in with it.

  363. LizB1979

    Very Good!!! I made this tonight for dinner and was blown away by the flavor & the ease of the recipe. I will be making this again :) Thanks!

  364. renjenjen

    I made this for dinner 4 nights ago and it was yummy!! I doubled the recipe and my cheese of choice was mix of Swiss and Gruyère. I also added 4 more cloves of garlic as we love garlic in my house…..Amazing! Sent a picture to my friends and one of them made it the following night! Thanks!!

  365. Hippie2MARS

    I made this for dinner tonight and it was AMAZING! Absolutely perfectly. I followed the recipe to the letter (even the frozen diced onions….brilliant!) with the only change being that I used half and half instead of cream, because it’s what I had on hand. I will definitely be making this again! Every single recipe I’ve tried from your blog has been a hit. Keep it up!

  366. Kimberly Ogren

    This was delicious and do easy. I am always hesitate to try something new because my husband and daughter are picky, but they both loved it. Thank you so much for sharing. I’m wondering what it would taste like it you substituted the sausage with chicken?

  367. DianeM929

    You’ve done it again, Kevin and Amanda! So flavorful and delicious, and EASY! My son made this for our dinner last night. We both loved it. Will definitely make again.
    I always find the greatest recipes on your blog. Thank you!!

  368. Stef

    The hubby and I made this last night – delish! We made a couple of healthy substitutes – used reduced fat monterey jack cheese and subbed the cream for fat-free half and half. Worked great & still tasted rich!

    1. Sarah

      We made it as is… next time we will use half and half. We found the full cream too rich. The flavours were great though. :)

  369. Brea

    Amanda, I made this on Sunday and we all loved it–even my 3 year old! :) I’m due with our second baby in 5 weeks and was wondering if I could make this into a “freezer meal”? Maybe just prep it all, top it with the cheese and onions and then freeze? Then let thaw in the fridge and pop in the oven to heat through and melt the cheese? Whadda ya think!

    1. Scotti O.

      I was wondering the same thing! I always cook my noodles only about half the time if freezing. Was wondering if you tried to freeze it and how it turned out if so!

  370. lindsay

    made this last night and it was great. i’m not a huge fan of that kind of sausage so i think next time i’ll try it with some shrimp, or even chicken. nothing is better than the one-pan dinners. thanks amanda!

  371. Megan

    I made this last night and it was a hit with the husband and I. My 3 year old on the other hand, wanted “the one in your computer mummy!” (meaning yours!!) lol
    This will definitely be added to our dinner rotation, thanks for another great recipe!

  372. Laura P.

    Just wanted to thank you for your recipes! This has become another favorite in my house…in addition to the breafast casserole, cheeseburger flatbreads, and many others:) Thank you!

  373. Lauren

    Amanda,
    I made this dish for my boyfriend the other night and he loved it! Went back for thirds I think. Thanks for sharing great recipes :)

  374. Cindy @ Once Upon a Loaf

    Amanda, this looks fantastic! Gotta try it and very happy it uses turkey sausage. Now I want that cookbook, too, darnit!

  375. Regina

    Amanda – can’t wait to try this! This is very similar to your Cheesburger Macaroni which is a weekly staple in our house. I’m going to make that (or this) for a family that just had a baby. Love the simple ingredients and one-pot meals! And I agree about the turkey sausage – frankly I prefer it over the full-fat stuff.

  376. Brittany Jones

    Thanks for the recipe Amanda – it was in fast last night’s meal. All my husband kept saying was how great it was. Thanks again!!

  377. Javelin Warrior

    This looks so easy and so delicious – love the combination of flavors and colors… I am featuring this post in today’s Friday Food Fetish roundup (with a link-back and attribution), but please let me know if you have any objections. It’s a pleasure to be following your creations…

  378. Darchelle Whitehead

    Thanks for posting! I tried this & it was super easy & good! :) And I’m a terrible cook! You’ve inspired me to buy that cookbook as well. Thank you & I’m sharing on my blog! :)

  379. Jackie

    I love your recipes! This one looks great and we have turkey sausage all the time. And I’ll be checking my chicken broth ingredients :). But, I checked the nutritional info and it shows the sodium at 1788mg (75% of DV)! Where is all this sodium coming from? The turkey sausage?

    1. Alberta

      Jackie – I’ve found that most turkey sausage is high in sodium. Any time I cook with it, I always boil for a few minutes to remove some of the salt and fat (you should see the water afterwards) then continue with the recipe as usual. Hope that helps.

      Amanda – Thanks for sharing this today as it was the fam’s dinner tonight. Huge hit … great flavor … just the right amount of spice … very filling … overall fabulous!

    2. LeeAnne

      Jackie – The cup of cheese adds a lot of sodium, in addition to the sausage. Some brands are now carrying low-sodium cheese. You should see if your local grocery store carries one. Also, it would help to omit that 1/2 teaspoon of salt and instead just add a few shakes with the salt shaker.

    3. Annette

      I noticed the high sodium count too. Sometimes when you lose the fat and calories you gain a lot of sodium. Turkey bacon has more sodium than regular bacon. The sausage, the cheese and the tomatoes all contribute to the sodium content. Even the low sodium chicken broth. Skip the salt altogether and get reduced sodium tomatoes.

  380. Heather

    Wow! Sugar in chicken broth? I’ll be honest, I’ve never thought to check. Plan on looking at my favorite brand to see if it contains sugar and will try a different brand if it does. I really need to get in the habit of label reading!

    1. jennielynn

      It’s so worth it to read the labels! I’m glad to know about this brand. I usually make my own after I roast a chicken, but it’s nice to have a box in the pantry in case I run out.

      This recipe looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it this week. I have a feeling it will be on my Pinterest Success board!

  381. Cristina

    Hi, here in Mexico dont have the RO-TEL thing, what do i add to substitute the whole tomato-chilie, spices thing?? thank you soo muchhh looks deliciousss

  382. Melissa

    Looks amazing! Definitely will have to try it. How spicy is it though? Will I need to make something else for the kids?

    1. Amanda

      Hi Melissa! All the spice comes from the Ro-Tel. We buy the mild version, so it’s not too spicy, but if you’re unsure, you can always just use petite diced tomatoes — no spice at all. :)

    2. Rebecca

      Even mild Rotel seems to be too hot for me and my family. For this recipe I used 1 1/2 cups DelMonte diced tomatoes with green chilies and even that had a little kick, but it was so delicious! I used half the amount of pepper, so that helped too. Very delicious!

  383. Kimber

    I’m putting together a bunch of recipes and some monogrammed baking dishes for my nephew’s new bride… this one sounded so good {and easy for a new cook} that I just had to whip up a recipe card for her! Thanks for the yummy idea!

  384. shenna

    Looks so easy! Can I skip the cream though? I’m gonna try it without the cream and non-fat cheese. =)

    Thanks for sharing!

    P.S. Love the pics too. =)

  385. Erin @ Brownie Bites

    I LOVE recipes that are specifically tailored for weeknight cooking – especially ones that can be easily memorized so you can whip it together last minute without having to think too much.

    I think too much as it is, and sometimes dinner is better when less brain power is required. Thanks for sharing!

  386. Patti

    I too love turkey sausage and its all I ever buy. Cannot notice a difference. Don’t think we have gotten the butterball kind..looks delish! This is a great, easy, quick dish which I will be trying SOON!! Hubby loves egg noodles…I think it would be good with those too! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

  387. shelly (cookies and cups)

    First off, totally pinned this…looks so amazing! Also, I think I NEED that cookbook! All your bookmarks crack me up!

    1. Deanne Girouard

      Used Philly cheesesteak sausages (new to me and so good) and used a small can of Goya tomato sauce bc I had no Rotel. Sausages spiced it up perfectly. Had penne so used that. Huge hit! Thanks for the recipe!






  388. Caroline @ chocolate & carrots

    Oh my goodness, Amanda! This looks SO good! What a creamy and delicious way to whip up a quick weeknight meal! P.S. I’m loving those noodles. :D

  389. Averie @ Averie Cooks

    I was just reading an interview on another blog about one of the gurus over at America’s Test Kitchens. Love them and how thorough they test everything and their recipes are a guaranteed success, no matter what. Love that.

    1. Shauna

      I’m about to make this fully vegan…So it would be super easy to make vegetarian! I’m using tofurky Italian sausage :)

  390. Nika

    Oh My!
    This is the first thing I’ve read with the morning coffee.
    Now thinking to make it for breakfast.
    Who’s gonna wait till the evening :)
    Thanks for the recipe.
    Nika

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Meet Kevin & Amanda

Kevin and Amanda

We love to travel and to eat! Here we share our favorite quick and easy recipes, plus travel tips and guides for our favorite places around the world. If you have any questions about what camera I use or how I edit my photos, check out my photography tutorials.

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