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Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta on a plate
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Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta

When you’re craving rich decadent pasta, this creamy Rotel sausage pasta is a generational palate pleaser with plenty of cheese and lotsa’ savory flavor!
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Keyword Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta, Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta Recipe, How Do I make Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta Recipe, How to make Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 1556kcal
Author Kathleen

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces  ziti
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • 16 ounces  bulk pork sausage
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon  garlic,  minced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • cups  heavy cream
  • 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel, undrained
  • 4 ounces  cream cheese, cubed, and at room temperature
  • 2 cups Mexican style cheese blend, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons parsley, minced

Instructions

  • Cook pasta (16 ounces) according to package instructions in well-salted water. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Drain.
  • In a large skillet, brown the sausage (16 ounces) until there is no longer any pink. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Drain the fat from the skillet.
    How to make Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta, browning the sausage
  • Melt butter (2 tablespoons) in the skillet then saute onion (1 cup) and garlic (1 tablespoon) over medium-low heat until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Sprinkle flour (2 tablespoons) over vegetables and cook, whisking constantly for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and slowly whisk in cream (2 cups) and (1 10-ounce can )Rotel smooth.
    How to make Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta, sauteing the aromatics
  • Return skillet to medium and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and stir cream cheese (4 ounces), Mexican cheese (2 cups), Cajun seasoning (1 teaspoon), salt (1/2 teaspoon), and pepper (1/4 teaspoon), and simmer gently until cheese is melted.
    How to make Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta, adding the cream
  • Add pasta to the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Thin out sauce, as needed, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time (you likely won't use the whole 1 cup). Garnish with parsley (2 tablespoons) and serve.
    How to make Creamy Rotel Sausage Pasta, adding the pasta to the sauce

Notes

  1. Pasta: The best way to cook your pasta is to boil it just until al dente. Past this point and your pasta will be mushy. Yuck!
  2. Pasta water: Be sure to salt your pasta water! It’s a simple step that makes a huge flavor difference. I typically use 1 ½ – 2 tablespoons of salt per gallon of water. The pasta inevitably absorbs some of the salted water as it cooks, and salt can enhance umami flavor. So, your dish will start with Ah-ma-zing pasta.
    • Don’t forget to reserve a cup of pasta water. This is a secret used by most chefs. It’s a great way to adjust the thickness of your sauce without thinning it too much. The starch in the pasta water helps the sauce stick to the noodles to evenly coat every delicious piece.
  3. Flour: You’ll notice that the creamy Rotel sausage pasta recipe calls for you to cook your roux for one minute before adding the liquid. I know it seems insignificant, but it gets rid of that flour-y flavor, so it doesn’t end up in the finished product.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 1556kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 107g | Saturated Fat: 56g | Cholesterol: 343mg | Sodium: 1601mg | Potassium: 790mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 3163IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 523mg | Iron: 4mg