Easy Kielbasa Pasta

Kielbasa pasta is a hearty and comforting dinner that’s ready in under half an hour. Featuring a delicious mix of smoked Polish sausage, bell peppers, tomatoes and Parmesan, this easy kielbasa pasta recipe is sure to become a family favourite.

If you have some Kielbasa on your hands and you’re wondering what to cook with it, this kielbasa pasta with red sauce is an excellent idea.

Ready in just 25 minutes, this Polish sausage pasta has it all — crispy slices of Kielbasa, sweet bell peppers and tomatoes, all topped up with freshly grated Parmesan.

Kielbasa and pasta are an excellent combo, and this is a really delicious recipe that is sure to please anyone in the family.

Why you’ll love this kielbasa pasta

• It’s extra flavourful. Smoked sausage and bell peppers are a match made in heaven, and they pair great with a tomato-based sauce for the most delicious pasta dish.
• It’s super quick to make. It only takes 25 minutes to make this Polish kielbasa pasta — just what you want to hear on a busy weeknight.
• You can easily make it your own. This kielbasa pasta is very easy to customize as you can add other veggies, swap the spinach for kale or use cheddar instead of Parmesan. The possibilities are truly endless.

What goes into Polish sausage pasta?

Kielbasa — Use your favourite Kielbasa sausage in this pasta and slice it as small as you want. Any other type of smoked sausage would work, like smoked turkey sausage, for example.

Shallots — I like the mild flavour of shallots in this pasta sauce, but you can use diced onion instead.

Bell peppers — Any colour bell pepper will work great in this recipe. You can use multiple colours too.

Aromatics — A mix of freshly minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and red chilli flakes infuse this Kielbasa pasta with so much flavour! Skip the chili flakes if you don’t want your pasta to have a bit of a kick.

Tomato paste — I like to add two tablespoons of double concentrated tomato paste to this sauce for that extra tomato-ey taste.

If you don’t want such a pronounced tomato taste, skip this and only add the crushed tomatoes.

Chicken stock — Low-sodium chicken stock is best in this recipe because there’s already a lot of salt from the Kielbasa and Parmesan.

Crushed tomatoes — Crushed tomatoes are just finely diced tomatoes, and the thickness is perfect for this type of sauce.

If you don’t have them, use chopped or plum tomatoes crushed by hand.

Baby spinach — You can replace the spinach with other greens, such as curly kale or cavolo nero.

Pasta — I made this pasta dish with rigatoni, but any type of short pasta like penne, farfalle or fusilli would work.

How to make kielbasa pasta?

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it and cook the pasta al dente according to the directions on the package. Reserve 1-2 cups of pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or a large, deep pan and fry the Kielbasa for 3-4 minutes over medium heat until slightly crispy. Remove the sausage from the pot with a slotted spoon and set it aside.

Add the shallots and bell pepper to the same oil you cooked the sausage in, and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened.

Stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning mix and red chilli flakes and continue to cook for a minute.

Next, stir in the tomato paste, then add the chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Bring to boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir in the baby spinach and continue to simmer for 1-2 minutes until it wilts.

Transfer the Kielbasa back to the pot, then stir in the cooked pasta. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if it looks too thick.

Add the Parmesan and toss well. Season to taste and serve immediately with extra Parmesan on top if you like.

Leftovers and storage

• Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store them in an airtight container if possible.
• The best way to reheat this pasta is in the microwave. If you want to reheat it on the stovetop, you may need to add some water or chicken stock.
• If you want to freeze this dish, I recommend you only freeze the sauce and add freshly cooked pasta when you’re ready to serve it.

Recipe notes and tips

• This kielbasa pasta is a hearty dish on its own but you can serve it with a simple salad and a couple of slices of garlic bread.
• Some veggies that you can add to the sauce include courgettes (zucchini), mushrooms and broccoli.
• If you want the sauce to be extra spicy, up the quantity of red chilli flakes or use ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper.

If you liked this easy kielbasa pasta, you might also like some of my other pasta recipes:

• Pasta e Piselli (Pasta and Peas)
• Creamy Chicken Piccata Pasta
• Cajun Chicken and Shrimp Pasta
• Sundried Tomatoes Chicken Pasta
• Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

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