Spicy Turkey Sausage Pasta

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 ya’ll.  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!!

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 a lean and lower in fat!   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

• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil (not pictured)
• 14 oz. smoked turkey (link) sausage
• 4 tsp minced garlic (or 4 cloves, minced)
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes & chilies
• 3 cups chicken broth (or 3 cups hot water + 3 tsp Better than Bouillion)
• 16 oz. dried pasta (I use rotini or penne usually)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp 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:

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 frig.  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.

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!!

For more amazing turkey recipes, tips, videos and resources on turkey, check out Serve Turkey here, follow Serve Turkey on Facebook and @ServeTurkey on Twitter to create something unexpectedly delicious using turkey!

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

Here’s the printable recipe for you: