One Pot Creamy Shells and Sausage

Quick and easy comfort food! One Pot Creamy Shells and Sausage is a kid-friendly dinner that will be ready in about 30 minutes. Pasta shells and Italian sausage in a creamy pasta sauce with Parmesan cheese.

One pot meals are the best for busy nights. Not only are they quick and easy, but cleaning up just one pot is better than cleaning up a bunch of pots!

Some of our favorites are One Pot Cheeseburger Mac, Turkey Goulash, and this One Pot Creamy Shells and Sausage!

This one pot meal comes together in about 30 minutes and it's so delicious! It has pasta shells and Italian sausage in a creamy red sauce with Parmesan cheese!

Ingredients

• Mild Italian sausage - you can use hot Italian sausage if you want a little bit more spice.
• White onion
• Garlic - you can use garlic powder if you don't have fresh garlic.
• Crushed red pepper flakes - adjust the amount based on how spicy you like things.
• Low-sodium chicken broth - if you use regular chicken broth, taste it before seasoning with salt. You can also make your own broth!
• Pasta sauce - use your favorite jarred or homemade pasta sauce.
• Pasta shells - you could really use any small pasta shape for this recipe. Macaroni, penne, bowties, any small shape is fine.
• Heavy cream - this is what makes the dish super creamy.
• Parmesan
• Fresh basil - if you don't have fresh basil, you can skip it completely or add dried basil (or Italian seasoning) during the cooking process.

Instructions

• Cook meat. Remove sausage from casings into hot pan with olive oil. Add onion. Cook, breaking up the sausage, until sausage is cooked through and onion is translucent. Drain off all but about 1 teaspoon fat.
• Aromatics. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, only about 30 seconds.
• Make sauce. Add salt, crushed red pepper flakes, chicken broth, and pasta sauce.
• Cook pasta. Bring to a boil and add pasta shells. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until pasta is cooked and liquid is mostly absorbed, about 12 - 13 minutes.
• Add cream. Stir in heavy cream.
• Add cheese. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese until melted.
• Garnish. Top with fresh basil before serving.

How Long Is It Good For?

One Pot Creamy Shells and Sausage will be good for about 3 days in the refrigerator. Make sure to store it in an airtight container - these glass containers are my favorite for everything because they are super airtight.

You can reheat it in the microwave when you are ready to enjoy it.

Can You Freeze Sausage Pasta?

Yes, you can freeze this pasta! Make sure to let it cool completely and then transfer it to an airtight freezer-safe container like a freezer ziploc bag. It will be good in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you are ready to serve it, defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat on the stove or microwave. If the sauce has thickened up too much, a splash or chicken broth or water will get it back to it's original consistency.

Variations

• If you love a really spicy pasta like I do, you can either start with a spicy pasta sauce (like an arrabbiata) or add significantly more crushed red pepper flakes. I'm also obsessed with Korean red pepper flakes and have been known to add it to dishes like this because you get the heat without the crunch of the red pepper flakes we normally use in pasta dishes.
• You can use ground beef or ground turkey if you don't eat sausage or just don't want to make another trip to the grocery store.

More Pasta Recipes

• Chili Mac Casserole
• Blackened Shrimp Alfredo
• Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Stuffed Shells
• Spicy Bacon Ranch Pasta
• Baked Spaghetti Casserole

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