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 minutesminutes
Cook Time 25 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Calories 1556kcal
Author Kathleen
Ingredients
16ounces ziti
1cupreserved pasta water
16ounces bulk pork sausage
2tablespoonsbutter
1cuponion, chopped
1tablespoon garlic, minced
2tablespoonsall-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1(10-ounce) canRotel,undrained
4ounces cream cheese, cubed, and at room temperature
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.
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.
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.
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.
Notes
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!
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.
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.