In this cheesy sausage pasta skillet recipe, smoky sausage links compliment tender pasta while sun dried tomatoes add a chewy, slightly sweet element. Chicken broth and cream team up to create a smooth, creamy sauce. Red pepper flakes kick up the heat while spices and dill boost the flavor. And cheddar cheese adds a gooey, cheesy, extra yummy factor.
Once this dish is complete, you can pop the skillet (pending it’s oven safe, handle and all) into the oven and broil it to get the cheese crispy and lightly browned on top (takes about 8 minutes). If you’d like this extra effect, but don’t have an oven safe skillet, then transfer the completed product into a casserole dish then pop it in underneath the broiler.
Note About Dreamfield’s Pasta
Dreamfield’s tastes just like regular store-bought pasta, but it has a special coating that causes you to not digest the majority of the carbs. For this reason, you’ll notice in the nutrition facts that the carbs look super high and, if you’re doing Trim Healthy Mama or keto, that makes this dish way off plan. But, because of this coating, each serving yields a mere 5 carbs instead of the hefty amount indicated.
If for any reason (including that you just don’t believe Dreamfield’s works) you would rather not have Dreamfield’s pasta, then you can easily sub it for spaghetti squash, zoodles (noodley zucchini), shirataki noodles, or whatever you like. Please keep in mind that you will probably need to decrease the liquid (stock or broth) when using these noodle substitutes and you may even need to cook them in a separate pan.
Cheesy Sausage Pasta Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 pounds link sausage, cut into coins (I like Applegate's Organic Andouille sausage)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped (if canned in oil, press off most of the oil with a towel)
- 4 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 box (13.25 ounces) Dreamfields penne rigate pasta
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried dill weed
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat a large all-metal (oven safe) skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the sausage coins and onion. Sauté until the onion is tender and the sausage has browned a bit. The fat from the sausage should be enough to keep things from sticking to the pan, but if you have sticking, add a couple teaspoons of butter or cooking coconut oil.
- Add the sun dried tomatoes, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, dill, and nutmeg. Sauté another minute so the tomatoes soften.
- Pour in the chicken broth. Bring to a slow-rolling boil then add the pasta.
- Heat the oven to 400° F (this is optional).
- Once the pasta has reached the al dente stage (it should absorb all the liquid so no draining necessary), turn the heat down to low and stir in the cream and cheese.
- Pop the pan in the oven and bake for 8 to 15 minutes or until the top begins to crisp and the cheese is bubbly.
Notes
Nutrition
The best. Thanks for the recipe, tj.
You’re welcome, Tom!
Do you drain the pasta before adding the cream on step 5? Thanks!
Hi, Mary. No need to drain, it should absorb all the liquid. 🙂 I’ll update the instructions to clarify that. Thank you!
Is this dish supposed to be baked or broiled? The top portion says to broil it, the directions says bake
Is the 1 cup serving size before or after cooking the pasta?
After. You can have up to 1 cup of Dreamfields pasta in an S setting. 🙂
How is this low carb? The carb amount is 49g minus the fiber of 6 g? Thank you
Hi, Elizabeth. The article explains it. 🙂
I made this last night! It was sure tasty! Thanks for a great THM S recipe! 🙂