Sausage Pasta Skillet – The Ultimate One-Pan Weeknight Dinner
If you’ve been searching for a comforting, rich, easy, and fast dinner that never fails, Sausage Pasta Skillet is about to become your new go-to. This dish brings together smoky sausage, tender pasta, aromatic garlic, and a creamy tomato-based sauce — all cooked in just one skillet from start to finish. No complicated steps, no pile of dishes, and no waiting around. Just pure, satisfying flavor.
One-pan meals have taken over home kitchens for good reason. They’re efficient, they’re flavorful, and they make dinner feel effortless. But this one stands out because it manages to deliver restaurant-level comfort in under 30 minutes. The combination of browned sausage and silky sauce coats every piece of pasta. It’s hearty enough for cold nights, quick enough for busy days, and customizable enough for any pantry.
Whether you prefer sweet Italian sausage, spicy sausage, chicken sausage, or even plant-based sausages, this recipe adapts beautifully. The method stays the same — brown, simmer, reduce, toss — but the flavors can be tailored endlessly. You get a dinner that feels familiar yet flexible, and once you make it once, it will likely appear on your table again and again.
This in-depth article walks you through everything you need to know: ingredients, step-by-step instructions, variations, meal-prep tips, reheating advice, and serving ideas. By the end, you’ll feel like you’ve mastered not just a recipe, but a foundational weeknight technique that can be transformed hundreds of ways.
Why This Sausage Pasta Skillet Works
The magic of a skillet pasta recipe is the way flavors layer naturally as each ingredient cooks.
Here’s why this version hits all the marks:
1. Browning the sausage builds the entire flavor base.
Sausage contains fat, spices, and aromatics. When it hits a hot skillet, the browned bits left behind give the sauce deeper flavor than any broth cube or seasoning packet.
2. The pasta cooks directly in the sauce.
When pasta simmers in sauce instead of water, its starch thickens the mixture naturally. No need for heavy thickeners — the sauce becomes luxuriously silky all on its own.
3. Everything happens in one pan.
Less cleanup. Less stress. Less time between you and dinner.
4. It tastes like it should have taken hours.
Even though it’s ready fast, the flavor suggests a slow-simmered pasta dish thanks to caramelized onion, garlic, sausage seasoning, and broth reduction.
Ingredients for Sausage Pasta Skillet
- 1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, casings removed if needed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half for lighter)
- 2 cups uncooked short pasta (penne, rotini, shells, etc.)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the oil.
Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. - Brown the sausage.
Add sausage and cook, breaking it apart with a spoon until browned and cooked through. - Add onions and garlic.
Stir in diced onion and cook until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant. - Season.
Add Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. - Add tomato sauce.
Pour in tomato sauce and stir to coat the sausage mixture. - Add pasta and broth.
Pour in chicken broth and add uncooked pasta. Stir well to submerge noodles. - Simmer.
Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and reduce heat. Cook 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender. - Add cream.
Pour in heavy cream and simmer uncovered 2–3 minutes to thicken. - Finish with cheese.
Stir in parmesan until melted and the sauce becomes creamy. - Serve.
Garnish with fresh parsley and extra parmesan.
Sausage Pasta Skillet
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add sausage and cook until browned, breaking it apart.
- Stir in diced onion and cook until softened.
- Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
- Season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Pour in tomato sauce and stir to combine.
- Add chicken broth and uncooked pasta. Stir well.
- Cover and simmer 12–15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add heavy cream and simmer uncovered 2–3 minutes.
- Stir in parmesan until sauce thickens.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
Tips for the Best Sausage Pasta Skillet
Use the right size pan.
A large, deep skillet prevents overcrowding and ensures the pasta cooks evenly.
Stir occasionally.
Since the pasta cooks in the sauce, stirring prevents sticking.
Taste before salting.
Sausage and parmesan are naturally salty — season at the end.
Adjust consistency.
Too thick? Add a splash of broth.
Too thin? Simmer uncovered a little longer.
Delicious Variations
This recipe is endlessly flexible:
- Spicy Version: Use hot Italian sausage and add red pepper flakes.
- Veggie Upgrade: Add spinach, mushrooms, peas, or roasted peppers.
- Cheesy Version: Stir in mozzarella at the end for a melty finish.
- Tomato-free Option: Replace tomato sauce with extra cream and broth for a creamy white sausage pasta.
- Lighter Option: Use chicken or turkey sausage and half-and-half.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this dish with:
- Garlic bread
- A simple green salad
- Roasted broccoli
- Steamed green beans
- A side of sautéed spinach
Storage & Reheating
- Fridge: Store up to 4 days.
- Reheat: Add a splash of broth or cream and warm on low.
- Freezer: Pasta can freeze, but the texture softens. Freeze up to 2 months if needed.
Why This Recipe Belongs in Your Rotation
You only need one skillet.
You don’t need advanced cooking skills.
You don’t need fancy ingredients.
You get a complete, comforting, flavorful dinner in under 30 minutes.
This is the kind of dish that becomes a weeknight hero — reliable, flexible, satisfying, and always welcome.
