One Pot Penne Pasta Recipe
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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!
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.
- Chicken Stock – Homemade chicken stock is always my preference, but you can use an unsalted store-bought.
- 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 and 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
Here’s my simple One Pot Penne Pasta recipe. It’s a keeper!
One Pot Penne Pasta Recipe
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
Originally published 2014.
I doubled the garlic, substituted spinach for the kale This was delicious! My nephew said it was one of the best pasta dishes he’d ever eaten! High marks from a 26 year old! Will make this again. Thank you!
That’s such a great feeling when you get those kinds of compliments from your family – I know it makes my day when nephews and nieces love something I’ve made for them! I’m so glad you – and your nephew – enjoyed it! Thanks! xo
how much pasta? I know it says 3 cups of uncooked…would that be a box of 1lb penne pasta or would I need more?
What could I use instead of montery jack cheese? I’m in the UK.
Hi Nikki – You can substitute another similar cheese that suits your taste. I’m not exactly certain of all the cheeses in your area, but have seen some people comment that they have used other cheeses instead of this one. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks!
Monterey Jack Cheese is available at the Tesco cheese counter – In a large block and you ask for your desired size / weight amount.
Or, Monterey Jack 1840 Cheese Slices (8 per pack – 160g) from Waitrose and Ocado.
And, Monterey Jack 1840 Grated Pack (180g) from Waitrose and Ocado.
If you have a good local Cheese Store, I am sure they will stock Monterey Jack Cheese.
In Google, type, MySupermarket.co.uk – Go to the website and put Monterey Jack into their Search area – You may have to register – This will bring up where you can buy it in your area.
I hope this helps.
Am I able to substitute the Spinach for Kale?
I’ve never substituted kale. It may take a bit longer for the kale to soften versus if using the spinach. Enjoy!
Thank you for this great recipe. Every time I make it, the entire family eats it. I do have to cook it for longer than the recipe states to make sure the pasta is cooked through but otherwise, it’s wonderful. The flavors are such a great combination.
Is there a way to do this in a slow cooker? Or would the pasta get too done?
Thanks for the recipe , made it tonight and it was tasty.
Only problems I had was my pasta took twice as long to cook (even though it was in a small enough pot that it was submerged in the chicken broth) and because I had to cook it so long the cheese started to burn a bit at the bottom and sides of the pot.
I do like the flavor of the ingredient mixture, so does my husband, so I’ll try it again but Next time will cook the pasta separately, and add the cheese much later on so it won’t have time to stick to the pot.
This was my thought – that the cheeses should go in later after cooking while still super hot.
Can’twait to make this, do I cook the sausage first or does it cook in the boiling water? Thx!
you use smoked sausage so it is all ready cooked..like kielbasa and chop that up it will add a nice smokey depth …so yeah no worries about it being under cooked using that kind of sausage! 🙂
Love this recipe! I had to make some change only because I didn’t have the exact ingredients. I used 1 cup of grated Pepper Jack cheese and 1 cup Colby Jack. Wanted to use up more of my spinach, so I added 3 cups. This is such a good basic recipe that other vegetables could be added or substituted. I’m new to your website, but will be returning for other recipes. Thank you!
Just made it – I’m still eating now. So delicious!!! I made it with our local Conecuh smoked sausage. I am looking forward to leftovers at lunch this week. Yea! 🙂