One Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage

Oh my goodness guys…this One Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage is a winner! It’s creamy, a little spicy, cheesy, and ridiculously easy!

This began as a “wing-it” type dinner that has now become a staple recipe in our house. It uses smoked sausage which is a great protein for when you get stuck in a chicken and beef rut. Although, if you want, you can totally make this with chicken, or even shrimp!

The best part of this recipe (other than the amazing flavor) is that it’s made in ONE pot! I love easy dishes with easy clean-up and this is both of those!

I made this last night for dinner and every single plate was wiped clean! Full disclosure: I told my 5 year old son that the sausage was hotdogs and he ate it. Don’t worry, I told him the truth AFTER he was finished lol. This pasta does have a little spicy factor to it so I was pleasantly surprised that both kids loved it!

So here’s how to make One Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage:

1. Get out a large pot and sauté the sausage, peppers, and onions in a little big of olive oil on medium high heat. You already know it’s going to be good when it starts like this!
2. Add in the garlic and cajun or creole seasoning. I use the one pictured below. It’s a little spicy so be careful! I find that 2 teaspoons is just the right amount for us. I’m a bit of a wimp and my kids are also eating this so I don’t like it TOO spicy. Feel free to adjust the amount! (This isn’t sponsored, I just love this stuff!)
3. Add the liquid ingredients to the pot. This includes the tomato sauce, cream, and broth. This will all need to come to a boil, then you can add in the pasta. And, unlike a lot of one-pot meals, you can use the full 16 ounces of pasta here…yay!
4. Allow the pasta to cook, uncovered for the time on your box of pasta. You’ll want to stir pretty frequently to avoid anything sticking to the bottom of your pot – even in a non-stick pot. Stirring will also allow all of the pasta to cook evenly since there’s a limited amount of liquid towards the end of the cooking time.
5. Once the pasta is done cooking, you can remove it from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese. This is what helps thicken up the sauce and makes it so creamy and delicious!

Tips for making One Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage:

• You’ll notice I don’t add any salt in this recipe. The cajun seasoning is quite salty and the parmesan cheese is also salty. I love my salt and I didn’t need to add so if you feel like you need salt, add with caution.
• The pasta will be crowded towards the end. Just keep stirring. If you feel like you want the pasta a little softer at the end, just remove the pan from the heat, cover it, and allow it to steam for a couple minutes.
• Use a non-stick pot. The pasta is cooking in a thicker liquid and can stick easily if you’re not careful.
• If you want a spicier dish, start with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning and go from there. Or add red pepper flakes to your plate after serving.

Print Recipe

5 from 6 votes

One Pot Creamy Cajun Pasta with Sausage

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Cajun

Servings: 6

Author: Coco and Ash

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 small yellow onion (about 1/3 cup) (diced)
• 14 ounce smoked sausage link
• 3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons cajun or creole seasoning (I use Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning)
• 1 (8 ounce) can of tomato sauce
• 1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 and 3/4 cups chicken broth or stock
• 16 ounces penne pasta
• 1 and 1/2 cups fresh shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

• Dice your onions and bell pepper and cut the sausage into 1/4" slices. I also cut my links in half before slicing to make it easier for the kids to eat.
• Heat a large pot over medium high heat and add in the olive oil, onions, bell peppers, and sausage.
• Cook until the vegetables start to soften and the sausage gets a little browned.
• Add in the garlic and the seasoning and cook for 2 more minutes.
• Add in the tomato sauce, cream, and chicken broth and bring everything to a boil.
• Once boiling, add in your pasta and cook according to the time on the pasta package. Leave uncovered and stir frequently to prevent sticking.
• When the pasta is cooked, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
• Serve immediately. I like to serve it this with some extra parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes on the table for anyone who wants to add a little extra spice!

Notes

If you have finished cooking the pasta according to the time on the package and still want it a little softer, just remove the pot from the heat, cover it, and let it sit for a couple of minutes.