Cheddar Broccoli Kielbasa Pasta
If you’re craving comfort food, this kielbasa pasta delivers with smoky sausage, broccoli, pasta and a decadent cheddar cheese sauce.
Think of it as an amped-up mac and cheese with tender broccoli and smoky, rich kielbasa in every bite. If you’re craving a stick-to-your-ribs pasta dinner, this is it.
What Makes This Recipe Stand Out
- Built-in flavor shortcut: Kielbasa has a ton of flavor so the whole dish is infused with smoky, rich flavor.
- Flavor layering: The sausage, broccoli, and sauce are cooked in the same pan so all the flavors mix and mingle.
- Creamy sauce: Using both cornstarch and flour ensures the cheese melts evenly with a extra creamy texture.
- Total comfort food: Make it when you want to treat yourself – it’s so worth it.
Ingredients
- Rotini pasta: It’s great for holding the cheesy sauce or you can use other short pasta shapes like penne, cavatappi, farfalle, or orecchiette.
- Kielbasa: This type of sausage adds lots of flavor with just a little effort.
- Broccoli florets: Adds a nice pop of color and texture.
- Cheddar cheese: For the best creamy cheese sauce don’t use bagged shredded cheese. Shred a block of cheese yourself.
- Whole milk: For a creamy cheese sauce.
- Butter and olive oil: For flavor and sautéing.
- Cornstarch and flour: Helps thicken the sauce so it clings to the pasta.
How to Make It
Boil the pasta: Cook the pasta while you prepare the rest of the dish in a separate pan.
Brown the sausage: Heat oil in a large pan and brown the sliced kielbasa until it crisps around the edges. Take the slices out of the pan and set them aside.
Sauté the broccoli: Melt the butter in the same pan and add the broccoli. Cover the pan and cook the broccoli, stirring occasionally, until it’s crisp-tender. Add the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat the broccoli.
Make the sauce: Add the milk and, once it’s steaming hot, add the shredded cheese in a few batches stirring between each addition. Stir until the sauce is smooth.
Finish it up: Add the cooked pasta and browned sausage to the sauce and stir to coat everything evenly.
Recipe Tips
- Shred your own cheese for the smoothest sauce (pre-shredded can be grainy).
- Don’t overcook the broccoli – you want it crisp-tender, not mushy.
- Add a splash of pasta water if the sauce thickens too much.
- Brown the kielbasa well – that’s where a lot of flavor comes from.
- Stir the cheese in gradually so it doesn’t clump up.
More Comfort Food Recipes
Cheddar Broccoli Kielbasa Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rotini
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 7 ounces kielbasa sliced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 10 ounces broccoli florets about two small crowns, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups whole milk
- 16 ounces mild cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook 8 ounces rotini according to the package instructions. Drain and set the pasta aside.
- Warm the oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Place the sliced kielbasa in a single layer in the pan. Brown it on both sides and then remove it from the pan.
- In the same pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium high heat. Add the broccoli, stir to coat it in the butter, and cover the pan. Cook the broccoli, stirring occasionally, until it’s crisp-tender about five to ten minutes. If there are stubborn browned bits on the bottom of the pan, add a couple tablespoons of water to help scrape them up.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon each of cornstarch and flour over the broccoli. Add ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to coat the broccoli evenly and then add 2 cups whole milk.
- Warm the milk and, once it’s steaming hot, add the shredded cheese in a few batches stirring between each. Stir until the sauce is smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta and browned kielbasa to the broccoli cheese sauce and stir for a minute or until the sausage and pasta are warmed.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
More Cheesy Pasta Ideas
If you try this cheesy kielbasa pasta recipe, be sure to leave a comment and rating below – I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Happy cooking,
