One Pot Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

Low on time – but want big flavors? Try our saucy One Pot Shrimp and Sausage Pasta for a quick and easy weekday meal. Seared smoky paprika shrimp, Italian sausage, corkscrew pasta, spinach, tomatoes, and a dairy-free red sauce are cooked in one pot in 30 minutes.

If you have a hungry crew, you’re in luck! This shrimp sausage pasta recipe makes enough for at least 8 VERY hungry adults. Leftovers rock too! We know you’re busy so let’s bring on the 30 Minute Meals with easy clean up too.

Jump to:

• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Seasoning & Aromatics
• Step by Step
• Equipment
• Why does one pot pasta get saucy?
• What to serve with it?
• Recipe Tips
• Variations
• Storage Recommendations
• Is it a goulash?
• Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
• More Delicious Pasta Recipes
• One Pot Shrimp and Sausage Pasta

Ingredients and Substitutions

Shrimp – peeled and deveined. We like to use large (around 30 to 40 shrimp per pound) shrimp or prawns.

Fresh uncooked Italian sausage – we used a mild Italian sausage so we could control how spicy the dish is.  Are you a "Chili Head"? Use the HOT Italian sausage – It’s so good. You can use sausage links but sausage not in the casing is even more convenient. Andouille sausage, chicken sausage or chorizo are all delicious substitutions. If you decide to use pre-cooked sausage links, you can just slice and brown them in the pot.

Dried Pasta (uncooked noodles) – Don't you just love corkscrew or fusilli pasta (rotini)? This shape holds the sauce in all the delicious swirls. However, you can use any shaped noodle you desire or even broken spaghetti like in our vegan One Pot Creamy Kale Pesto recipe.

Cooking time may change slightly depending on what shaped noodle you are using. We have not tested this recipe with gluten-free pasta but that is also an option. If you need to keep this shrimp and sausage pasta recipe gluten-free, choose a good brand of gluten-free pasta that does not break up when cooked with sauce.

Chicken broth – or you can use vegetable or bone broth to cook the pasta – all in one pot.

Dairy-free or Dairy of choice - Just a little splash is all you need. It mellows out the tomatoes and makes the pasta a little saucy. You can make this one pot wonder with or without cream and substitute your dairy alternative of choice. We used almond milk. The purpose of the almond milk is to give the sauce a little creamy richness just like in our Tagliatelle alla Bolognese.

Tomatoes – Canned (tinned) tomatoes are one of our household staples. We always have around so we can throw together a quick chicken tortilla soup or a rustic chicken cacciatore. In addition, we also added garden vine ripe tomatoes at the end to add a pop of freshness.

Seasoning & Aromatics

Onions and Garlic – but of course, right? If you are out of the fresh ingredients, you could use a little onion and garlic powder.

Smoked Paprika (pimentón)– is key to making this shrimp and sausage pasta flavorful. It’s both smoky and spicy because it is made from smoked peppers that are dried over oak fires. We’re all about using what you have on hand. However, if you have the option of a smoky paprika - choose that one. As you probably already know, there are 3 types of paprika

1. Regular paprika – very mild in flavor
2. 8 different types of Hungarian paprika
3. Spanish Paprika – this one is the one we used and it’s a little smoky and mildly spicy.

Even Spanish paprika can differ. There are mild, mildly spicy, and spicy options. A viable substitute for smoked paprika is crushed ancho powder or chipotle powder.

Dried Red Pepper Flakes – add as much or as little as you desire. You can skip it if you prefer your dishes mild.

Spinach – yep, we are sneaky like that! Adding vegetables into the spicy fusilli pasta. The heat from the pasta cooks the spinach right before serving. Is it required? No- but we try to sneak into vegetables into recipes that the kids love.

Step by Step

• Season the shrimp with smoked paprika and salt and pepper.
• Add a little olive oil to a Dutch oven or large pot with lid.
• Sear shrimp on both sides until no longer translucent. Remove from pot.

• Add the onions and garlic and fry until aromatic.
• Remove sausage from casing and add to the pot and fry until golden brown.

• Add the chicken broth, canned tomatoes and almond milk to the pot.

• Add the pasta and cover. Check on the noodles at the 6 minute mark. Stir and access if you need to add more broth. Simmer for a total 12 to 14 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.

• Turn off the burner and add fresh tomatoes, cooked shrimp, and fresh spinach.
• Stir and serve.

Equipment

Do you have a large soup kettle or Dutch oven with a lid? That is all you will need for to make a delicious shrimp and sausage pasta. Our Dutch oven was a 5.5-quart size capacity.

Why does one pot pasta get saucy?

Did you know that pasta releases starches when it cooks? If you have ever boiled noodles in a pot before, did you notice how the water gets cloudy? Those are the starches. When you cook your noodles separately, most of those starches are drained into the sink.

However, when you cook a one-pot pasta, all the starches stay in the cooking vessel. This creates a luxurious creamy sauce along with the tomatoes and dairy free or dairy of choice.

What to serve with it?

A tossed garden salad with our Lemon White Balsamic Vinaigrette would pair nicely as a simple side dish. If you decide to serve this shrimp and Italian sausage noodle dish while entertaining, try our Bruschetta as a starter and our individual serving Rich and Creamy Tiramisu for dessert.

Recipe Tips

• Choose a heavy-duty large pot (5.5 quart) with a well-fitting lid or Dutch oven to prepare your smoky paprika pasta.
• Do not overcook the shrimp! Remove the shrimp from the pan straight away after they are cooked. The heat from the pan, even off the heat, will continue to cook the shrimp.
• Removing the Italian sausage links from the casing allows all those delicious flavors and spices to mingle in the corkscrew pasta.
• One you have all your ingredients into the pot bring in up to a boil and then turn your burner down to a simmer.
• Stir your noodles mid-way in the cooking process to access and prevent sticking and check for tenderness of pasta.
• If you have had your burner on too high and most of liquid has disappeared during the halfway point, add ½ cup more chicken broth to the pot. Make sure it is on simmer.
• Each brand or type of noodle may have a slightly different cooking time depending on the thickness of the noodle.
• The sauce will thicken even more after it is done cooking, just like our one pot tortellini. A little brothy sauce is a good thing.
• If there is still too much liquid after the noodles are al dente, just open the lid to your cooking pot. Cook pasta for a minute or 2 or just until it is just saucy. However, we have found that if you just leave the dish sit off the heat for a minute it will thicken up on its own.

Variations

• Make it cheesy by adding in a little parmesan cheese at the end of the cooking process.
• You can also substitute real milk or cream for the almond milk if you do not have a dairy sensitivity.
• Experiment with different shapes of short noodles. We love fusilli pasta (also known as rotini). All the delicious flavors cling to the little curves of the corkscrew.
• If your family likes spicy food, try adding andouille sausage, chorizo, or even hot Italian sausage instead of mild sausage.
• Keep the recipe a little lower fat by using turkey sausage.
• Do you need a low carb or keto diet version? You may want to try our Low Carb Shrimp and Sausage Skillet with load of veggies.
• You can also make it vegan by substituting the Italian sausage and shrimp with mushrooms and a vegetable broth. Then, add herbs and spices like fennel seeds and Italian seasoning.

Storage Recommendations

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Just heat up the leftovers in the microwave or in a pot to enjoy. If the noodles absorbed most of the sauce, you could add a tablespoon of water or so to help loosen it back up.

Alternatively, you can freeze your leftover shrimp and sausage pasta in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

Is it a goulash?

This easy one pot recipe was a huge hit with our family. We hope your family loves it too. We placed the Dutch oven pot on a hot pad right on the kitchen table to serve it up family style. The first thing they asked was, “Is this a goulash?” You know it could be called a sausage goulash or Italian or Spanish pasta recipe. However, no matter what you want to call it, we call it delicious.

Frequent Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Are you ready to make a 30 minute easy saucy sausage pasta recipe your whole family will love? Let's get cooking!

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