You can’t beat the ease of this creamy and cheesy Smoked Sausage Pasta for a 30-minute dinner that the whole family will love!
PREPARATION TIME
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces)
1 ½ cups coarsely chopped broccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
13 ounces smoked sausage (such as kielbasa), sliced into rounds
½ cup finely-diced onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups half-and-half cream
8 ounces (about 2 cups) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces (about 1 cup) smoked gouda cheese, grated
½ teaspoon dry mustard
Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Notes
To cut down on the prep time, I like to get the pasta boiling while I prepare the rest of the ingredients (such as grating the cheese and browning the sausage and onion). Then, as the pasta finishes cooking, you can whisk together the cheese sauce. This way the pasta isn’t sitting around getting cold while you prepare the sauce, and everything comes together quickly at the end.
Salt the water before boiling your pasta. This is your chance to season the pasta for a flavorful dish!
It’s important to use blocks of cheese that you grate by hand. Do not use pre-shredded cheese in a package, because those packaged shredded cheeses include a powdery coating with stabilizers that prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.
The recipe calls for sharp cheddar cheese and smoked gouda, but you can use just about any good melting cheeses that you prefer. For instance, mild cheddar, gruyere, fontina, Colby, and Monterey Jack would all work well. You can even throw in some (gasp!) American cheese — good old Velveeta! — if that’s what your family enjoys.
