5 Ingredient One Pot Sausage Pasta
A short ingredient list and dinner is ready in 30 minutes?! It’s no wonder this easy sausage pasta recipe is a family favorite!
Years ago, before I had kids, I thought nothing of making a multi-course dinner, complete with homemade dinner rolls and fancy side dishes. Now? I’m all about the easy recipes that I can throw together as quickly as possible! Between work, homework, and the kids’ activities, time is a precious resource. If you’re feeling the hustle of everyday life as well, let me introduce you to one of my favorite easy dinner recipes: One Pot Pasta with Chicken Sausage, made with only FIVE ingredients.
Besides my slow cooker and my Instant Pot, my large skillet is my favorite kitchen tool for getting dinner on the table with minimal effort.
A few delicious examples of easy one pot dinners include Baked Ziti and this Lasagna Soup. If you have an Instant Pot, Instant Pot Spaghetti is our family favorite. I also have an Instant Pot Pasta Recipe that’s similar to this pasta.
Let me tell you about this sausage pasta recipe. With just 5 ingredients, we have multiple food groups covered. We’re adding bell peppers and tomato sauce for veggies. Italian chicken sausage for lean protein. And whole wheat pasta fuels our bodies with whole grains. There’s even cheese for dairy (calcium!) and added protein. You knew I could pass cheese off as healthy, didn’t you? 😉
Be sure to use your favorite, good quality marinara sauce in this recipe. Since the pasta cooks in the skillet with the sauce, it absorbs some of the sauce and it’s flavor along with it. I like to check the nutrition label to make sure my pasta sauce is made with minimal, recognizable ingredients. I also look for one without added sugar. While homemade pasta sauce is best, there are some healthy store-bought options that can save time on busy days.
If you love this recipe, try my Instant Pot Pasta with Sausage and Instant Pot Goulash.
One Pot Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound uncooked mild Italian sausage, chicken, pork, etc.
- 1 bell pepper, any color
- 12 ounces penne pasta, (¾ of a 1 pound box)
- 25 ounce jar marinara sauce
- 1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Remove sausage from casings (if needed) and add to the skillet. Cook sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink.
- Meanwhile, chop bell pepper into small pieces. Add the bell pepper to the skillet with the sausage and cook for 2 minutes to soften.
- Add the pasta and marinara to the skillet. Fill the marinara sauce jar to the top with water and pour the water into the skillet as well. Stir.
- Bring to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 18-22 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed and pasta is tender. Stir the pasta every 5 minutes or so to help it cook evenly and to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Sprinkle with the grated Mozzarella cheese. Optional: Place skillet in oven under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to melt the cheese, if desired. Enjoy!
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I’m all about the easy dinners and I don’t have kids! 🙂 Especially when one pot pastas are involved. This looks like the perfect comfort food, Kristine! I love the chicken sausage in here, too!
Oh that stringy cheese is calling my name! I love my BIG skillet. It was a pricey investment, but one that has been well worth it because I use it ALL THE TIME! Going to be adding this dish to the rotation!
I rarely make extravagant dinners any more…we’re too darn busy! I’m all about one pot pastas and I know this would be a hit at my house with the sausage and all that cheese!
Only FIVE ingredients in this pasta?? This totally needs to be my dinner EVERY night! You can’t beat easy, cheesy dinners like this on a weeknight!
I love how simple this is, Kristine! Jarred marinara sauces is one of my pantry staples. SO good to have on hand! I definitely want to try this one!
Can’t beat one pot and 30 minutes! This pasta looks amazing Kristine! My daughter has started helping make meals now (muffins have been it up to this year!) and it’s kind of nice having that help! Although I will say that it sometimes takes longer, but still, it won’t always!
I don’t have kids, but my fiance is 6′ 3″ and eats for two most days, so this pasta dish sounds right up our alley. I love that it’s all cooked in one pot – my sautee pan is a workhorse this time of year!
Easy dinners are a must now that school is back in session! This looks SO good, Kristine! Yay for only 5 ingredients too!
I can’t wait to try this out this recipe. Love one pot meals, especially on those buys night which seem to be every night lately Love all the flavors going on in this dish.
One pot meals are the best! I’m really liking this one because of the 5 ingredient list. I’ll have to save this one for the fall! Thanks!
Thanks, Megan! This one is perfect for busy fall nights!
SO simple to make and it was delicious! Shared with my followers on my blog!
I made this last week and it was amazing! It is now going in the meal planning rotation!Â
I’m so glad you like it! This pasta is a favorite of ours, too!
Are ALL of these recipes for the 3-quart or 6-quart hot pot? Â Thank you!
This recipe is for the stovetop. I use a large skillet to cook this one pot pasta.
I see the recipe serves 6. How much is a serving? 1 cup, 3/4 cup?
Hi Jess, for this recipe, I didn’t measure the total amount so I’m not sure of the serving measurement. It would be 1/6 of the total amount made.
Excellent meal, so easy and quick to make. It was very tasty, never tried Chicken sausages before, however it worked really well. My son loved it especially the sausages, will defiantly have this again and again.
I made this last night and it’s delicious! I love how everything cooks up nicely in one pan. Easy, quick, weeknight recipe that I will definitely use again.
Feels weird pouring the water into the sauce, no?
The water is needed to cook the pasta, since it cooks right in the pot with the sauce. Just to clarify, you first pour the sauce out of the jar and into the pan, then fill the empty jar with water. (This is step 3 of the recipe.) I hope you enjoy!
Fixed this this week and it was easy, fast, and delicious. My husband even loved it. I didn’t tell him it was chicken sausage, because he would have turned his nose up to it before I even cooked it. Followed the recipe except I could not find the Italian Chicken Sausage. I used Apple Chicken Sausage, and added 1 tsp each of paprika, basil, oregano, and fennel. I will make it this way again if I can’t find the Italian sausage next time. And there will definitely be a next time. Thank you!
I love how easy this was but I do like to use spices. I added 2 tsp basil, 2 tsp oregano, 1.5 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, and a pinch of crushed red pepper and it took it over the top!