This kielbasa pasta recipe is a simple and delicious weeknight meal ready in only 20 minutes. Kielbasa and peppers are served over Parmesan and butter-tossed fettuccine. A great family-friendly meal for a busy weeknight!
My 4 year old ate three bowls of this last night. THREE BOWLS! I let my husband make it this time, and with every bite, she said "thank you, daddy, this is so delicious!". How sweet.
It's such a simple kielbasa pasta that even my husband, who never cooks, enjoys making it and makes it perfect every time. Men like making this because it's sausage. (is sausage a "man" food? it seems like it!)
Simple pasta meals have been my thing lately. It's so easy to get kids to eat pasta and there are so many things you can do with it. Plus pasta dinners are inexpensive, and who doesn't love a quick, inexpensive, family-friendly dinner?!
So here brings you to this kielbasa pasta, perfect for a weeknight or when you have no idea what to do for dinner tonight.
It's simple.
It's quick.
And it's delicious!
Kielbasa Pasta Ingredients
I like using turkey kielbasa. It has half the calories as beef/pork kielbasa, ⅓ the fat, and a little more protein, making it a healthier choice. But you can use either one. Kielbasa is quick since it's already cooked. Just heat and eat! It freezes well and defrosts quick, too.
Sometimes I use green peppers, and other times red or yellow. It really just depends on what we have. Red, yellow, or orange will give it an overall sweeter taste, while green will give it a more veggie/bitter taste, but all taste great!
For the pasta I usually like fettuccine, but my husband prefers angel hair. It's probably just a texture preference, so use what you have. Spaghetti or linguine are fine, too.
I also use canned diced tomatoes rather than fresh most of the time. Again, it's a matter of what you have on hand! Either work great. If you're using canned, you'll have more sauce, so if you choose fresh tomatoes, make sure to reserve some pasta water.
Onions & garlic. I love this combination and believe it's the perfect base for most pastas and soups. Both have amazing healing properties and can do wonders for your health.
Grated Parmesan and butter coat the pasta and give the meal a nice little cheesy taste. Everything's better with cheese! If you want to make it healthier, substitute the butter with extra virgin olive oil.
How Kielbasa Pasta Is Made
This kielbasa pasta has just 4 simple steps.
First, cook your pasta according to the instructions, making sure to reserve the starchy pasta water to add to the sauce later.
While the pasta cooks, brown the kielbasa in oil for about 3 minutes. Then add all the other ingredients, aside from the pasta, Parmesan, and butter, to the kielbasa pan. Simmer for about 10 minutes covered so the vegetables soften quickly. Taste the sauce at the end of the 10 minutes and add salt, pepper, or herbs if you'd like. Here is when you'll add the reserved pasta water if you need more sauce to coat the pasta.
When the pasta is finished, toss it with the Parmesan and butter. Top individual bowls of pasta with the kielbasa pepper mix and a sprinkle of Parmesan. AND DONE! Dinner in 20 MINUTES!
Kielbasa and Pepper Fettuccine
Materials
- 1 turkey kielbasa package
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large bell pepper, color of choice
- 1 medium onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tomatoes (or 1 13-oz can)
- ½ tbsp Italian herb blend
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 12 oz fettuccine
- 4 tbsp butter
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook fettuccine as indicated on package. Reserve pasta water when draining for the sauce.
- While pasta is cooking, cut pepper, kielbasa, and garlic cloves into slices and dice tomatoes and onion.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add kielbasa and cook 3 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, Italian herbs, onion, garlic, peppers, and tomatoes. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and taste sauce. Add reserved pasta water if you'd like more sauce and add salt, pepper, and herbs if desired.
- To cooked pasta, add the butter and Parmesan cheese. Mix well.
- To serve, top pasta with meat and pepper mix.
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