Get ready to fall in love with this skillet smoked sausage Alfredo recipe! This creamy pasta dish is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. It's packed with flavor, super easy to make, and sure to make your grocery budget happy, too.
Table of Contents
- This was easy and delicious.
- 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- 🧾🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
- 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
- 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- 🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
- 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat smoked sausage Alfredo
- Marye's Tip o' the day
- 💭 Insider tips: things to know
- 👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
- 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with smoked sausage Alfredo
- 🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftover sausage Alfredo
- 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
- 📖 Recipe
- ✍🏻 A note from Marye...
- Recipe Title
- 💬 Comments
Save this recipe by clicking on the ❤️ heart on the right-hand side of the screen or in the recipe card.
🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
- This dish is creamy comfort food, inexpensive, and gets on the table fast.
- I love it for busy weeknights when you need something tasty and easy to prepare.
- One of the things I absolutely adore about this easy dinner recipe is the number of possible variations. This recipe is made with simple ingredients, and can be modified easily!
Imagine you're late leaving work...
It's been a long day. Traffic is terrible. It's cold and drizzling. By the time you walk in the door you want nothing more than a hot bath, a soft robe, and something creamy and carby and yummy for dinner.
Hellooooo Sausage Alfredo Skillet Dinner! Ahhhh......
🧾🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
- Add Veggies: Toss in some broccoli, spinach, or bell peppers for extra flavor and nutrition.
- Spicy Kick: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
- Chicken Twist: Swap the sausage for grilled chicken (or any cooked, leftover chicken) if you prefer. Make it FAST by picking up a rotisserie chicken at the store!
- I like to use spicy smoked sausage because it's a nice contrast with the creamy sauce.
- Try cooked Italian sausage instead of smoked sausage - either sweet or hot (or a mixture of the two!).
- Chicken sausage, andouille sausage, and smoked turkey sausage all are delicious in this recipe.
- Add green and red bell peppers in the pan when you are sautéing the onions for both color and flavor.
- Mix up cultures with the addition of some poblano pepper or a little jalapeno.
- I like shell pasta because it collects the sauce but penne pasta, fusilli, farfalle, and rotini are good, too.
- Use smoked Provolone instead of Mozzarella on the top before broiling.
- Next time, try adding parmesan cheese on top with the Mozzarella for an extra cheesy flavor.
- Cheese tortellini works well in this recipe.
- Chopped pimento is a delicious addition.
🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.
Saute onions and sausage in butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Stir in the cooked pasta and alfredo sauce.
Stir together.
Sprinkle Mozzarella cheese on top and broil.
🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -
Add a splash of white wine to the sauce for a richer flavor!
zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive
🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
- large pot for boiling pasta
- skillet for cooking sausage and sauce
- measuring cups and spoons
- knife and cutting board
🎥 Watch and cook: step-by-step video tutorial
🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat smoked sausage Alfredo
Store leftovers covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.
You can also freeze this creamy smoked sausage and pasta recipe in the freezer for up to 3 months!
To reheat: thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Put in a pan and add a little milk or a little more Alfredo sauce. Heat over medium-low heat until hot, stirring often.
Marye's Tip o' the day
Use an oven safe iron skillet when preparing this recipe so that you can put the whole thing straight in the oven when it is ready to broil the cheese topping.
💭 Insider tips: things to know
- Use freshly grated Parmesan cheese for the best flavor.
- Don’t overcook the pasta; it should be al dente for the best texture.
- If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of pasta water to loosen it up.
- You can assemble this up to a day ahead of time in a baking dish and then just shove the whole thing in the oven for about 30 minutes if the idea of cleaning up after dinner is overwhelming.
- Don't let the sauce come to a boil - it can separate a little. Heat it at a simmer.
- Save time by buying chopped onions or chopped onions and Bell peppers in the produce section of your store.
👩🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!
The great part about this sausage alfredo pasta is that you can really use your favorite pasta, as long as it is similar in size and shape to medium pasta shells. I personally love this recipe with penne pasta or bowties.
Absolutely! Replace the sausage with some vegetables, beans or plant based sausage to make this easy dinner recipe vegetarian friendly.
📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
- One of my favorite recipes is my chicken lasagna with homemade alfredo sauce. If you're a huge fan of this sausage alfredo bake, you are going to love this cheesy take on a classic dish.
- The cheesy sauce in my baked macaroni and cheese makes it the perfect comfort food.
- And if you're really in the mood for fettucine alfredo, my alfredo chicken ravioli is for you! I can guarantee this recipe will be a huge hit the whole family will love.
🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with smoked sausage Alfredo
My southern green beans are the perfect veggie side dish to balance out the creamy alfredo sauce! Smothered okra and tomatoes is another good choice.
There is no greater combo than pasta and breadsticks. Try pairing your dinner tonight with fazoli's garlic breadsticks.
A fluffy white cupcake is a great dessert to go along with this hearty dinner.
🍽️ No waste: creative ways to repurpose leftover sausage Alfredo
Add some chicken broth or milk and extra veggies to make a creamy sausage soup.
📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
When you need quick, creamy comfort food you'll love this easy smoked sausage Alfredo skillet dinner!
Caramelized onions, smoked sausage, and cooked shell pasta are stirred together with Alfredo sauce then topped with Mozzarella.
After a few minutes under the broiler the dish comes to the table steaming; bubbling hot with a golden brown, crispy-cheesy crust. Your family will love it!
Tortellini alla panna is another quick and comforting recipe.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.
If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Smoked Sausage Alfredo Skillet Dinner
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- 12 ounces medium shell pasta, cooked
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 12 ounces smoked sausage, sliced
- 15 ounces Alfredo Sauce, commercial or homemade
- 1 cup Mozzarella, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler.
- Cook the pasta 10 minutes in salted boiling water to cover, or as directed on package.
- Drain.
- Meanwhile melt the butter in a heavy, 12-inch iron skillet.
- Add the chopped onion and saute about 3 minutes.
- Add the sausage and continue to saute, stirring often, about 2 more minutes or until the onion is golden and soft.
- Stir in the drained pasta and the Alfredo Sauce.
- Sprinkle with Mozzarella.
- Place under the broiler for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is melted and gooey.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use an oven safe skillet when preparing this recipe so that you can put the whole thing straight in the oven when it is ready.
- You can assemble this up to a day ahead of time in a baking dish and then just shove the whole thing in the oven for about 30 minutes if the idea of cleaning up after dinner is overwhelming.
- Using an iron skillet allows you to put the whole thing in the oven to crisp up the top.
- Don't let the sauce come to a boil - it can separate a little. Heat it at a simmer.
- Save time by buying chopped onions or chopped onions and Bell peppers in the produce section of your store.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
First published January 2018. July 15, 2024. The recipe was downsized to reflect changes in smoked sausage packaging.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.
January 2018.
A Caribbean vacation in the first week of January sounds like a great idea until you come home to snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. Thanks a lot, Texas.
I came home from vacation with some sort of respiratory infection that's left me exhausted, a backlog of work that's piled up more than anticipated, colder than normal temperatures, and a heater with a loose wire that only works when all the planets are in the proper alignment.
Since it's too cold to throw peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the family and call it dinner I've been thankful for quick and easy dinners like this.
I mean, when it's cold and blustery who wouldn't want to come home to creamy comfort food?
Don't lose this recipe!
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Gwen says
This was easy and delicious.
Jennifer says
What do you mean it's too cold to do PB&J? When it's that cold, YOU TOAST THE BREAD FIRST. Problem solved. 🙂
Marye Audet says
HA!!! I love it.