Name: Spicy Turkey Sausage Pasta
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1/2 medium onion, diced; 1-2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil (not pictured); 14 oz. (397 g) smoked turkey (link) sausage; 4 tsp (20 ml) minced garlic (or 4 cloves, minced); 1 (10 ounce) (283 g) can diced tomatoes & chilies; 3 cups (710 ml) chicken broth (or 3 cups hot water + 3 tsp Better than Bouillion); 16 oz. (454 g) dried pasta (I use rotini or penne usually); 1/2 cup (118 ml) heavy cream; 1 tsp (5 ml) salt; 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) pepper; 2 cups (474 ml) shredded Colby & Monterrey Jack Cheese (can substitute your favorite cheddar or blend)

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For a couple of years now, this Spicy Turkey Sausage Pasta has been one of my family's most favorite (and easiest) recipes! This is seriously one of those recipes that you can start and finish within half an hour. Add a salad and bread and you have a whole meal 🙂

I'm not even kidding y'all. Start to finish - 30 minutes. And it's really, really good. Oh - and don't let the turkey deter you from trying it - this recipe is loaded with flavor!!

spicy turkey sausage pasta up close look

The original recipe called for chorizo sausage, but that's not something I can easily find where I live so I did a little turkey recipe remix and swapped the chorizo for smoked turkey sausage. And I have a confession - it was a great swap!

In fact, I can't imagine making the recipe with anything other than turkey sausage - it's surprisingly delicious even though it's lean and lower in fat! Do you know what that means to me? Turkey is not just for the holidays... it's for ALL the days 🙂

Now, let's get to the recipe! Here's what you'll need:

Spicy Turkey Sausage Pasta

ingredients displayed for spicy sausage turkey pasta

½ medium onion, diced
1-2 tablespoon olive oil (not pictured)
14 oz. smoked turkey (link) sausage
4 teaspoon minced garlic (or 4 cloves, minced)
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes & chilies
3 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups hot water + 3 teaspoon Better than Bouillion)
16 oz. dried pasta (I use rotini or penne usually)
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded Colby & Monterrey Jack Cheese (can substitute your favorite cheddar or blend)

After you have everything ready to go, the first thing you'll want to do is dice your onion and slice the sausage:

Pour the olive oil into a large skillet (that you can also use in the oven), then add the sliced sausage and onion:

cut sausage and onion in pan being sauteed

Cook for around 8-10 minutes until the onion begins to caramelize and the sausage has browned.

Add the garlic and cook for another 30-60 seconds.

browned sausage in pan with onion and garlic

Tip: Buy already minced garlic vs. fresh. You can buy much larger quantities and it lasts a lot longer in the frig. Plus it's super easy to measure out and add to recipes!

water being added to sautéed sausage and then pasta and tomato

Once the garlic is fragrant, stir in the broth, canned tomatoes (not drained), pasta, salt, pepper and heavy cream.

Once it's well mixed, bring to a boil, cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Stir frequently and turn off once the pasta is tender! While it's cooking, turn the broiler on in your oven.

I absolutely love being able to cook everything in a single pan like this.

When I uncovered it the last time - the pasta was perfectly cooked, most of the liquid had been absorbed or evaporated and there was an already thickening creamy sauce. Last thing... it's time to add the cheese!!

Stir in about half a cup and then add the rest of the cheese on top!

Finally, broil for about 3 minutes (until the cheese is melted) and then enjoy!!

This recipe was adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks: The Best Simple Recipes.

More one-pot dishes for you:

Here's the printable recipe for you:

Recipe

Spicy Turkey Sausage Pasta

Author: Rose
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 1x

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Description

This Spicy Turkey Sausage Pasta is loaded with flavor and texture! It's cheesy and creamy and best of all, it's ready (start to finish) in 30 minutes!

Ingredients

Units Scale

½ medium onion, diced
1-2 tablespoon (30 ml) olive oil (not pictured)
14 oz. (397 g) smoked turkey (link) sausage
4 tsp (20 ml) minced garlic (or 4 cloves, minced)
1 (10 ounce) (283 g) can diced tomatoes & chilies
3 cups (710 ml) chicken broth (or 3 cups hot water + 3 teaspoon Better than Bouillion)
16 oz. (454 g) dried pasta (I use rotini or penne usually)
½ cup (118 ml) heavy cream
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
½ tsp (2.5 ml) pepper
2 cups (474 ml) shredded Colby & Monterrey Jack Cheese (can substitute your favorite cheddar or blend)

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Instructions

Dice the onion and slice the sausage into bite-sized pieces.

Pour the olive oil into a large skillet (that you can also use in the oven), then add the sliced sausage and onion.

Cook for around 8-10 minutes until the onion begins to caramelize and the sausage has browned. Add the garlic and cook for another 30-60 seconds.

Tip: Buy already minced garlic vs. fresh. You can buy much larger quantities and it lasts a lot longer in the fridge. Plus it's super easy to measure out and add to recipes!

Once the garlic is fragrant, stir in the broth, canned tomatoes (not drained), pasta, salt, pepper and heavy cream.

Stir in about half a cup of cheese, then spread the rest on top!

Broil for about 3 minutes (until the cheese is melted), then enjoy!!