This One Pot Penne Pasta recipe is made with sausage, red peppers, and spinach and ready in 15 minutes, making this pasta recipe a weeknight favorite recipe!

Large pot of penne style pasta with red peppers flakes, slices of sausage, stringy melted cheese, and spinach all dipped with wooden spoon.

It’s a busy weeknight and if I haven’t planned ahead, I start to think about what’s for supper. It’s a question I know we all ask ourselves all the time!

These are times I am happy to remember this One Pot Penne Pasta. I am always thankful that it’s such a quick and easy recipe. And my family absolutely loves it!

This is one of those pasta recipes that you throw everything into the pot and everything cooks together like magic. It also means there is only one pot to wash, one pot to dry, and one pot to put away. I love recipes like that! 

One Pot Penne Pasta Recipe

The flavor combination is out of this world delicious and one that I think you’ll enjoy, too!

How to Make One Pot Penne Pasta

You can customize the ingredients to your preference, but I use these ingredients in this recipe.

Ingredients

  • Smoked Sausage – Since it is already cooked and smoked, it adds so much flavor to this pasta recipe in a short amount of time. I like to slice the smoked sausage into bite-sized pieces to help it heat through even more quickly, but also for ease when served.
  • Onion – Diced onion is delicious in this dish, but can easily be omitted if you do not enjoy onions.
  • Garlic – Fresh garlic is minced and included in this pasta recipe. If you do not enjoy garlic, you can omit.
  • Mushrooms – You can use either white or portobello sliced fresh mushrooms in this recipe or you can even use sliced mushrooms in the jar that have been drained.
  • Penne Pasta – Penne works well in this recipe, but you could use another tube shaped, sturdy type of pasta if you don’t have penne on hand, such as ziti or rigatoni.
  • Roasted Red Peppers – Use jarred roasted red peppers in this recipe and include the liquid from the jar for all of that delicious flavor in the finished pasta dish!
  • Cheeses – Use both Monterey Jack cheese andĀ Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh Spinach – Fresh baby spinach is perfect in this recipe. Since you add the cheeses and the spinach while the pasta is hot, the spinach will become tender and will wilt into the dish.

Not only is this dish full of incredible flavor, it makes a delicious, quick and easy pasta recipe!

Step by Step Instructions

  • To make this one pot pasta, add the sausage, onions, garlic, and mushrooms to the pot first.
  • Once your onions become tender, toss in the penne pasta, add the chicken stock and the jar of roasted red peppers with the liquid from the jar, and cover the pot for about 5 to 8 minutes. This allows the penne pasta to cook quickly and become tender.
  • Remove the lid, stir and continue to cook until penne pasta is al dente or reaches the amount of tenderness you prefer.
  • Finally, stir in the fresh spinach and cheeses until well combined, and the spinach is tender.
  • Then serve and enjoy!

Believe me, this has become one of my favorite staple recipes! It is so easy and delicious and a dish my family loves!

More Favorite Pasta Recipes

Alfredo Recipe

BLT Pasta Salad

Pasta Fagioli

Skillet Lasagna

Pot with penne pasta, slices of sausage, spinach, and melted strings of cheese.

Here’s my simple One Pot Penne Pasta recipe. It’s a keeper!

One Pot Penne Pasta Recipe

4.94 from 32 votes
This One Pot Penne Pasta recipe is made with sausage, red peppers, and spinach and ready in 15 minutes, making this pasta recipe a weeknight favorite recipe!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into bite sized slices
  • 1/2 medium onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
  • 2 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 1 (10-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, undrained
  • 2 cups monterey jack cheese
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 cups spinach

Instructions 

  • Add sausage, onions, garlic, and mushrooms to a medium pot over medium heat. Cook until onions are slightly tender, stirring often. Add in penne pasta, chicken stock, roasted red peppers, along with the liquid from the jar. Stir to combine and cover for about 5-8 minutes. Remove lid, stir and continue to cook until penne pasta is al dente or at the amount of tenderness you prefer. 
  • Stir in the cheeses and fresh spinach until well combined and the spinach is tender.  Serve. 

Nutrition

Calories: 482kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 822mg | Potassium: 302mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 302mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

Originally published 2014.

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Recipe Review




86 Comments

    1. Yes, Tricia, this is made in a normal pot, not instant pot or slow cooker. I hope you enjoy!

  1. 5 stars
    Super tasty and so easy! The only changes I made: used chicken sausage since that was what I had on hand, and used a 12 oz jar of peppers. I made a mistake by adding salt to the dish, which it absolutely does not need. Excited to try this again with smoked sausage this time!

    1. I hope you do try this with smoked sausage, Dolores. My family loves it that way. I will have to try the chicken sausage with it sometime. Thanks!