There’s something about pasta that feels especially comforting when the weather turns cold. Wrapped in a blanket and settled in for an evening of a favorite show, a bowl of warm pasta just hits differently.
This one-pot pasta is a cozy, flavorful meal that comes together quickly and cleanly. It’s one of my favorite additions to a growing collection of one-pot dinners: minimal fuss, big flavor, and ready in under 30 minutes. The combination of chicken sausage, sautéed mushrooms and onions, hearty kale, and tender pasta in a garlicky, lightly tomatoed creamy sauce is deeply satisfying yet still balanced.
The dish begins with buttery, herbed panko breadcrumbs toasted until golden and crisp. Those breadcrumbs are worth the extra step — they add a crunchy, savory contrast when sprinkled on top at the end. Next, sausage slices are browned to develop caramelized edges, then set aside while mushrooms and onions get a quick sauté. The pasta finishes cooking in the same pan with chicken stock, kale, tomatoes, parsley and garlic, absorbing the sauce so every bite is flavorful. Return the sausage to the pot near the end, and serve with the buttered herbed breadcrumbs on top for crunch and extra richness.
Cook’s Notes:
- Choose a shaped pasta that cooks in about 9–12 minutes so it and the kale finish at the same time. Very thin, quick-cooking pastas (like angel hair) can become mushy before the kale is tender.
- Remove tough stems and center spines from the kale before chopping. If using pre-cut kale, pick through and discard any large stems. Kale leaves will generally soften in about 9–12 minutes, but the stems take much longer to cook.
- Sweet apple chicken sausage works beautifully here for a touch of sweetness, but mild Italian or chicken sage sausage are good alternatives if you prefer.
Chicken Sausage, Kale, and Mushroom One Pot Pasta {25 Minute Meal}
A flavorful one-pot meal combining browned chicken sausage, sautéed mushrooms and onions, tender kale, and shaped pasta simmered in a garlicky, creamy tomato-based sauce. Topped with buttery herbed breadcrumbs for crunch.
Ingredients
For the Buttery Herbed Bread Crumbs:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3/4 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning blend
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated garlic
For the Pasta:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 12 ounces chicken sausage links, cut into 1/2-inch coins (chicken apple or chicken sage are good)
- 12 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 2 small yellow onions, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
- 4 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 pound shaped dry pasta (see notes)
- 4 cups chopped kale leaves (stems and center spines removed)
- 3 cups halved fresh cherry tomatoes (or canned crushed tomatoes or tomato puree)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus 2 pinches
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a very large pasta pot or high-sided skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the panko breadcrumbs, poultry seasoning, granulated onion, kosher salt, and granulated garlic. Toast the breadcrumbs, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Return the pan to the burner, raise heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Swirl the pan and add the sausage coins. Cook 2–3 minutes until the undersides are golden, flip and cook another 2–3 minutes until browned on the second side. Transfer to a separate bowl.
- Return the pan to medium-high heat, add another tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat. Add the mushrooms and onions with two pinches of kosher salt. Let them sit undisturbed for about 2 minutes so edges brown, then cook 1 more minute. Add the chicken stock, pasta, kale, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir, raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low. Stir and toss frequently, adding the sausage back into the pot after about 8 minutes. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is tender. If the liquid evaporates too quickly, add more stock or water in 1/4-cup increments until the pasta is done.
- Remove from heat and serve garnished with additional parsley and a generous sprinkle of the buttery herbed breadcrumbs.
Notes
Choose a thicker, longer-cooking shaped pasta rather than a thin, quick-cooking variety so the pasta and kale finish cooking at about the same time.
Nutrition (approximate per serving)
- Calories: 401 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 52 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 33 mg
- Sodium: 997 mg
- Potassium: 605 mg
- Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Vitamin A: 3240 IU
- Vitamin C: 47.1 mg
- Calcium: 79 mg
- Iron: 2.4 mg
Nutrition information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using the specific brands and quantities you use if you need precise values.