Shrimp Sausage Pasta is a delicious flavorful pasta dish made with shrimp and kielbasa pasta.
Everything is made in just one pan and the pasta is cooked right in with the sauce!
Shrimp and sausage pasta
I'll be honest, my husband gave me a very skeptical look when I told him I was making shrimp with kielbasa and fettuccini pasta. However, his skepticism was quickly erased once he took a bite. Not only did he have a second serving, but he took the leftovers in his lunch the next day.
You're going to love this shrimp and sausage recipe. It's a tasty dish that is perfect for dinner. The simplicity of this one-pan recipe makes it a convenient option for a quick, fuss-free meal. Each bite captures all the flavors with the pasta cooking directly in the sauce.
This straightforward approach minimizes cleanup while ensuring a perfect blend of ingredients, providing a tasty dinner. This will be a winner in your house, just like it was in mine!
If you love one-pan meals, you'll want to try this chicken stir-fry!
Key ingredients
This section reviews the best ingredients and substitutions for this recipe. For an exact list of ingredients and quantities, check the recipe card below.
- Shrimp - Use raw, peeled, and cleaned shrimp. I used shrimp with the tails removed, but either way is fine. If your shrimp is frozen, be certain to fully thaw it before using.
- Sausage - I used Kielbasa sausage, but any fully cooked, smoked sausage works fine.
- Pasta - Use fettuccini, thick spaghetti or other hearty pasta.
- Chicken Broth - I use my homemade chicken broth, but any chicken broth or stock works.
- Canned Tomatoes - Two types of tomatoes are used in this recipe; tomato paste and canned crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. The tomato paste adds richness and a deep burst of flavor.
- Heavy Cream - The cream makes the sauce rich and delicious. It also helps thicken the sauce.
- Herbs and Seasoning - Dried rosemary, parsley, oregano, thyme, and basil are all used along with smoked paprika.
Step-by-step directions for making shrimp sausage pasta
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Add a light coating of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add shrimp and cook for 30-60 seconds per side, just until the shrimp is mostly cooked through.
- Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
- Add a light coating of olive oil to the skillet and add sliced sausages. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side just until the sausages begin to brown up or crisp a bit.
- Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
- Turn heat to low and add garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant and then add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Stir until heated through.
- Add seasonings and stir well.
- Stir in chicken broth and then add fettuccini. Try to submerge the noodles and move them around as much as possible so they don't stick together.
- Bring to a simmer making certain you stir every few minutes so the pasta is not stuck to the bottom of the pan and so it doesn't stick together.
- Place lid on pan and cook until the pasta is cooked to your liking. I like it al dente which means it just has a slight bite to it. The pasta will also continue cooking just slightly while adding the remaining ingredients.
- Remove the lid and stir in heavy cream.
- As soon as the sauce begins to simmer, add the shrimp and sausage back into the pan. Stir gently so everything is covered with the sauce.
- Cook until the shrimp and sausage are heated through.
- Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve hot with a bit of freshly chopped parsley for garnish.
Recipe tips
- Use a skillet that's large enough to hold everything. I used a 3.5-quart skillet and it had enough space to add all the ingredients and stir everything together.
- Be careful that you don't overcook your shrimp. The color will begin to turn pink and the shrimp will begin to curl into a "C". It's better to slightly undercooked them rather than overcook them. They will continue to cook when added back into the sauce.
- If your pan is very hot after cooking the sausage. Remove it from the heat for 1-2 minutes before adding the garlic.
- Once you add your pasta, try to stir it or move it around in the sauce. It's difficult at the beginning because the pasta is firm. As it begins to soften, it's easier to stir it around.
- You may need to add additional chicken broth halfway through cooking time. When your sauce is thick and you can draw a spoon through it and it holds its shape, you'll want to add more broth. This will vary depending on the type of pasta you use and the amount of heat from your stove.
- The amount of time it takes to cook your pasta varies. All fettuccini vary in thickness and cook time. The best way to determine if your pasta is cooked is to taste a piece. Bite into it and determine if it's cooked to your liking. Just be careful not to overcook it or it can become a bit mushy.
- After you've added the shrimp and sausage back into the pan, you can add a bit more cream or broth if your sauce is too thick.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Italian sausage can be used as long as it's fully cooked before adding to the sauce.
I've used Kielbasa sausages, but any fully cooked sausage will work.
You can either reheat in the microwave oven or on the stovetop. If the pasta sauce is too dry, add a bit more chicken broth.
Serving suggestions
- Caesar Salad
- Green Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
- Homemade Breadsticks
More delicious pasta recipes
- Meatball Pasta Bake
- Garlic Butter Pasta
- Ham and Pea Pasta
- Sausage, Peppers and Pasta
- Chicken Pasta Bake
This recipe has been inspired by Love in My Oven.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
Check out all my delicious pasta dishes!
Shrimp Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound shrimp (deveined, peeled)
- 12 ounces Kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1 inch pieces (or other cooked, smoked sausage)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce)
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2½ cups chicken broth (plus more as needed)
- 10 ounces fettuccini (or other hearty pasta)
- ¾ cup heavy cream (plus more as needed)
- 1 teaspoon fresh parsley (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Add a light coating of olive oil to a large skillet over medium-low to medium heat. Add shrimp and cook for 30-60 seconds per side, just until the shrimp is mostly cooked through.1-2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 pound shrimp
- Remove shrimp from pan and set aside.
- Add a light coating of olive oil to the skillet and add sliced sausages. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side just until the sausages begin to brown up or crisp a bit.12 ounces Kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1 inch pieces
- Remove sausage from pan and set aside.
- Turn heat to low and add garlic. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant and then add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Stir until heated through.2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
- Add seasonings and stir well.½ teaspoon dried rosemary, ½ teaspoon dried parsley, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper
- Stir in chicken broth and then add fettuccini. Try to submerge the pasta and move them around as much as possible so they don't stick together.2½ cups chicken broth, 10 ounces fettuccini
- Bring to a simmer and then place lid on pan making certain you stir every few minutes so the pasta is not stuck to the bottom of the pan and it doesn't stick together.
- If the sauce becomes very thick while the pasta is cooking, add additional chicken broth.
- Cook until the pasta is cooked to your liking. I like it al dente which means it just has a slight bite to it. The pasta will also continue cooking just slightly while adding the remaining ingredients.
- Remove the lid and stir in heavy cream.¾ cup heavy cream
- As soon as the sauce begins to simmer and thicken, add the shrimp and sausage back into the pan. Stir gently so everything is covered with the sauce.
- Cook until the shrimp and sausage are heated through.
- Add additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve hot with a bit of freshly chopped parsley for garnish.1 teaspoon fresh parsley
Notes
- Use a skillet that's large enough to hold everything. I used a 3.5-quart skillet and it had enough space to add all the ingredients and stir everything together.
- Be careful that you don't overcook your shrimp. The color will begin to turn pink and the shrimp will begin to curl into a "C". It's better to slightly undercooked them rather than overcook them. They will continue to cook when added back into the sauce.
- If your pan is very hot after cooking the sausage. Remove it from the heat for 1-2 minutes before adding the garlic.
- Once you add your pasta, try to stir it or move it around in the sauce. It's difficult at the beginning because the pasta is firm. As it begins to soften, it's easier to stir it around.
- You may need to add additional chicken broth halfway through cooking time. When your sauce is thick and you can draw a spoon through it and it holds its shape, you'll want to add more broth. This will vary depending on the type of pasta you use and the amount of heat from your stove.
- The amount of time it takes to cook your pasta varies. All fettuccini vary in thickness and cook time. The best way to determine if your pasta is cooked is to taste a piece. Bite into it and determine if it's cooked to your liking. Just be careful not to overcook it or it can become a bit mushy.
- After you've added the shrimp and sausage back into the pan, you can add a bit more cream or broth if your sauce is too thick.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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