Creamy Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta

This Creamy Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta is perfect for a cozy night in or when you're trying to whip up something quick and delicious for dinner. 

The combination of kielbasa, pasta, and a creamy cheese sauce is simply irresistible. It's the ultimate comfort food that will leave you feeling satisfied and happy.

I like to top it with a crunchy breadcrumb topping; the crunch works well with the creamy sauce and the soft sausage. Ready in under 30 minutes, you can add a side salad, and dinner is complete. 

These notes are here to help make this recipe a success; they cover some but not all ingredients. For a complete ingredient list, check out the recipe card below.

Kielbasa Sausage: This is a cooked smoked sausage that adds so much flavor to the pasta dish. It is budget-friendly and great for family meals, as the kids love it. 
Onion: I use a regular brown onion, but you can use any onion. 
Garlic: Measure garlic with your heart and add more to suit your family's taste.
Chicken broth: I use a low-sodium broth, but you can use vegetable or beef broth/sock instead.
Shredded Cheese: Any good melting cheese will work. I usually go for Cheddar or Colby. 
Parmesan: This adds extra flavor to the sauce, but you can use extra shredded cheese. Store-bought pre-grated parmesan can leave your sauce grainy, so buying a block of parmesan and grating it yourself to get a luscious, smooth sauce is better.
Pasta: Any pasta shape will work here. We like to use penne or rigatoni, but you can use your family's favorite shape.

We've tested this recipe at least 3 times to ensure it works well for you. Have a look at our tips for getting the best dish you can!

• Remember to salt the water generously before adding your pasta; the recipe suggests 1 tablespoon of salt.
• To help get a perfect sauce consistency and allow it to coat the pasta, reserve 1½ cups of the pasta cooking water. Around ½ cup of pasta cooking water is added to the sauce, but it is a good idea to reserve extra in case the sauce thickens too much.
• When you add the garlic to the pan, cook it for 30 seconds and then move on to the next step. You don't want the garlic to burn.
• Add the broth/stock slowly and stir while you add it; this will help stop lumps from forming in your sauce. 
• When you add the cheese to the sauce, gradually sprinkle it over the surface and stir after each addition; this lets the cheese incorporate rather than melt into a lump. It sounds tedious, but it only takes a minute and is well worth it.

Why You'll Love This Cheesy Kielbasa Pasta

• The smoked sausage gives the creamy, cheesy sauce so much extra flavor with little effort.
• It is cheesy goodness and the best kind of comfort food.
• It is the big sister of hotdogs and Kraft mac and cheese, so it is super familiar but also better!
• You can customize it to what you have available; the sausage, cheese, and pasta can all be swapped.
• It is ready in under 30 minutes, making a great quick meal. 

These are all just suggestions and things that have worked in our test kitchen, but it is your dinner, so adapt it to suit your family. That is the beauty of cooking; we can all create our own delicious meals.

• You can substitute the half and half/single cream with milk. 
• Use any smoked sausage that you and your family love. A smoked turkey sausage would work well.
• Swap the cheddar cheese for any cheese that melts well. Or use up the odds and ends that are in your refrigerator. 
• Add baby spinach leaves to the sauce at the end of cooking.
• Fry mushrooms, celery, zucchini slices, or bell peppers with the onions to add extra vegetables to the dish. 
• Add Pangrattato to the top of the pasta when you serve it (as pictured below)

Sides: This creamy, cheesy goodness is perfect when you want comfort food, so I love a big bowl of it with some garlic bread! But if you want to be more virtuous, add an arugula salad or simple buttered vegetables.

Wine: The rich salty meat of a kielbasa works well with fruity wines. For white wine, go for a crisp, dry Riesling. The refreshing lemon and pear notes will balance the garlicky, salty meat. For red wine, go for one rich in fruit like Malbec or Merlot; these will balance the meat but won't overpower the cheese.