Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

Need some easy comfort food made with simple ingredients? Fix this Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti in only 45 minutes with onion, sweet bell pepper, garlic, ground Italian sausage, canned tomatoes, broth, canned coconut milk (or heavy cream) + dry spices. This recipe is super versatile, so use it as a template and grab what's on hand in your kitchen right now to save time & money. (dairy-free option)

Have you ever tried one-pot spaghetti or pasta? It's glorious! Instead of cooking the dried noodles separately in boiling water, you stick ALL the ingredients for the pasta + sauce into the same vessel.

Why is this technique so awesome (other than saving you extra dishes)?

The noodles soak up a ton of flavor from a combination of broth + spices + fat from the protein. They also release their starch into the cooking liquid, which creates a luscious, glossy sauce.

To make it even better, I like to add a creamy element in the form of canned coconut milk (I always keep a few cans in my pantry as a quick substitute for dairy in recipes) OR heavy whipping cream if I'm feeling extra fancy.

You can read more about how I stock my pantry in my meal planning post. Or, check out my homemade kitchen staples round-up for lots of ideas for foods you can make on the fly with basic ingredients in your home.

I've made several versions of this one-pot pasta recipe over the years with different types of meats & spices (like smoked sausage), so it's an excellent "template" to keep on hand when you need a saucy, carby dinner without much prep.

My go-to one-pot pasta combo is actually sliced & quartered kielbasa sausage, Cajun seasoning, and penne pasta, along with the rest of the basic ingredients for this recipe (minus the Italian seasoning, fennel & ground pork). I top it with shredded chipotle white cheddar cheese at the end and devour it in minutes.

I've been meaning to put that version on the blog for so friggin long (never managed to snap good pictures) but this Italian sausage + spaghetti noodles version is just as good.

Oh, and if you want a vegetarian pasta dish, this One-Pot Teriyaki Noodles looks super cozy! There's also this cheeseburger macaroni that would definitely hit the spot when you're craving beef & noodles. 

How To Make Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti

Here's a rundown of the basic technique. Once you learn this, you can swap out the protein & spices to use up odds & ends in your kitchen.

• Saute the Veggies & Meat: This helps to soften the veggies (onion, bell pepper & garlic) and release their aromatic properties prior to simmering. Browning the meat and/or cooking it partially (in the case of raw ground sausage) releases some of the delicious fat which will then be soaked up by the pasta and infused into the starchy sauce.
• Dump in the Broth, Canned Tomatoes, Spices + Dried Spaghetti Noodles: Mix in the rest of the ingredients (sans the creamy & cheesy stuff) and make sure the noodles are submerged in the liquid so they cook properly. If needed, add a bit of extra broth or water until they're just covered. If you throw in more veggies, you may need extra liquid here to get everything covered. Water is fine since we're using mostly broth already.
• Cook Partially Then Add The Creamy Ingredient: Once the pasta has been simmering for about 10 minutes covered, crack open the lid and pour in your coconut milk or heavy cream. 
  
• Finish Cooking, Uncover to Thicken Sauce & (optional) Stir in Cheese: When I use different shapes of durum pasta (spaghetti, penne, fusilli, etc.), it usually always takes about 15 minutes to cook in the liquid (I like my noodles softer than al dente). If you're swapping a different type of dried noodle, it could take a few minutes longer to cook or even a few minutes less. Crack open the lid a few minutes after adding the cream to check on it. 

TIP: You can actually add canned coconut milk OR heavy cream at the same time as the broth + noodles (that's how I usually fix it); however, I've written the recipe with the creamy ingredient added near the end in case folks decide to swap out low-fat milk. Why? Whole milk, 2%, 1% and skim milk have a much higher chance of curdling, which we want to avoid.

Swaps & Substitution Ideas

Here are some basic ones to get you started in case you're trying to make this recipe today with whatever is on hand in your pantry, fridge & freezer:

• Instead of olive oil or butter, use bacon grease, ghee, or avocado oil.
• No yellow or sweet onion? Try red onion, yellow onion, or shallots.
• Instead of sweet bell pepper, sub jarred roasted bell pepper (drained) or sun-dried tomatoes in oil.
• Need an alternative to ground Italian sausage? Try another flavored ground meat (pork, chicken, turkey, beef) or sliced pre-cooked rope sausages (regular or smoked) like andouille or kielbasa. You could even start with bacon, chopped smoked ham, or pancetta!
•  If you're using plain ground beef, swap out the Italian seasoning and fennel for homemade taco seasoning and sub a can of Rotel with chiles instead of regular canned tomatoes. Taco spaghetti for the win! :D
• Instead of fire-roasted canned tomatoes, use fresh diced tomatoes (Roma, beefeater, grape, cherry) or regular canned diced tomatoes. You could also sub chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil (Trader Joe's sells a really yummy one).
• No spaghetti on hand? Try penne, fusilli, rotini, rigatoni, linguine, ziti, orecchiette, or farfalle. (Note: I haven't tested this with a gluten-free pasta yet, so if you try this with one, please let me know how it goes.) 

More Comfort Food Recipes To Try: 

• Spaghetti with Lemon, Olives & Salami (20-Minute Prep)
• Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Butter Sauce (15-Minute Prep)
• Crock-Pot BBQ Ribs (10-Minute Prep)
• Pressed Italian Sandwiches with Olive Tapenade (20-Minute Prep)
• Skillet Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Drop Biscuits (15-Minute Prep)
• Smoked Sausage, Potatoes & Veggies Sheet Pan Dinner (15-Minute Prep)
• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

one pot spaghetti, creamy, Italian sausage, easy

main dish

Italian

Yield: 4-6

Author: Elaina - The Rising Spoon

Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

Prep time: 15 MCook time: 30 MTotal time: 45 M

Need some easy comfort food made with simple ingredients? Fix this Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti on your stovetop in only 45 minutes. This recipe is super versatile, so use it as a template and grab what's on hand in your kitchen right now to save time & money.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil (like olive oil or butter)
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 sweet bell pepper (red, orange or yellow), diced
• 4 large cloves of garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 lb. of ground Italian sausage (hot or mild)
• 1 tablespoon of dried fennel seed (optional)
• 2 teaspoons of dried Italian seasoning OR oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (15 oz) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
• 3 cups of low-sodium broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
• 8 ounces of dried spaghetti, broken in half
• 3/4 cup of full-fat canned coconut milk OR heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice OR vinegar (like white wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar)
• 1/2 cup of grated or shredded cheese (like Parmesan, mozzarella or an Italian blend - optional)

Instructions:

How to cook Creamy One-Pot Spaghetti with Italian Sausage

1. Place a medium-sized Dutch oven, stockpot, or saute pan (with tall, straight sides) over medium-high heat and measure in the cooking oil.
2. Let the oil warm a minute, then add the onion & bell pepper. Cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the garlic. Cook for about 1 minute, then add the ground sausage. Cook 3-5 minutes, while breaking the meat into small chunks with a spatula.
3. Add the dried spices, diced tomatoes, broth, and spaghetti (broken in half). Stir everything and push the spaghetti down until it's submerged in the broth. If needed, add more broth or water 1/4 cup at a time until the spaghetti is just barely covered by the liquid.
4. Cover with a lid and bring the mixture to a simmer (this should take about 2-3 minutes). Stir the pasta to make sure it's not sticking to the bottom, replace the lid, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the canned coconut milk or heavy whipping cream, replace the lid again, and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the noodles are tender to your liking.
6. Remove from heat, uncover, and add the lemon juice (or vinegar) + grated cheese. Stir well, taste and (if needed) add more salt or lemon juice. Let the spaghetti sit for 5-ish minutes so the sauce can thicken up. Ladle into bowls and (optional) top with extra cheese, cracked black pepper & olive oil. 

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