Healthy Kielbasa Pasta

This kielbasa pasta features smoked Polish sausage and simple vegetables cooked in a creamy, low fat, herby sauce and served with pasta. Easy to make and nutritious, packed full of flavour and perfect as a weeknight dinner. Ready in 20 minutes!

Making kielbasa pasta involves browning smoked kielbasa along with vegetables and a handful of herbs, then combining with a simple, creamy sauce and serving this mixture over freshly boiled pasta.

This creamy pasta with kielbasa is made without heavy cream or butter so it’s healthier than most kielbasa pasta recipes. I used a small amount of sour cream for more richness and flavour. This pasta and kielbasa recipe is a speedy, delicious and healthy meal the whole family will love!

What is kielbasa

Kielbasa is smoked Polish sausage typically made with pork (but can include other meats, such as chicken and turkey), seasoned and flavoured with garlic, marjoram, caraway seeds, juniper, and other spices and herbs. The word 'kielbasa' (in Polish ‘kiełbasa’, pronounced ‘kye’u-BAH-sa’) simply means ‘sausage’ in Polish.

Kielbasa has an intense flavour which makes it ideal to combine with pasta or vegetables (as I have done in this recipe as well as leczo recipe and kielbasa bake).

What type of kielbasa is best with pasta

For this healthy kielbasa and pasta recipe I recommend using smoked, ready-to-eat Polish kielbasa that’s not too dry. Soft-textured, smoked kielbasa, such as Silesian, ham, village, or garlic, will all brown nicely, while drier varieties (usually more expensive, such as ‘krakowska’ or hunters’) are chewier and better suited for sandwiches or as snacks.

• TIP: I recommend buying kielbasa in a Polish deli, which usually offers a selection of traditional smoked sausages.

Kielbasa pasta ingredients and substitutions

• Polish smoked kielbasa sausage: I do not recommend using Italian sausage or Polish white sausage instead, as they are both unsmoked and raw (which means they have a different flavour profile and require longer cooking).
• Pasta: I recommend using large pasta shapes, such as penne or rigatoni.
• Zucchini: you can use either green or yellow zucchini.
• Red bell pepper: adds sweetness and colour.
• Herbs: a combination of marjoram, thyme and sweet paprika (you can use hot paprika instead).
• Stock: either vegetarian or chicken are fine to use.
• Milk.
• Sour cream: adds richness and a hint of acidity (see also sour cream sauce recipe).
• Flour: thickens the sauce.
• Oil: I used cold-pressed rapeseed oil but you can use any.
• Garnish: fresh parsley.
• *Cheese: such as grated mozzarella or another mild flavoured semi-hard cheese (optional).

Step-by-step recipe instructions

1. Prepare sauce base: Whisk together the flour, sour cream and milk until smooth. Set aside.

• TIP: It’s important to use a whisk rather than spoon or fork to do this.

2. Boil pasta: Boil the pasta (a little al dente) in salted water according to packet instructions. Strain and set aside.

3. Brown kielbasa: Cut the kielbasa in half lengthwise then cut it into ¼ - inch thick pieces. Heat a large non-stick pan, add the kielbasa and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and wipe the pan with a paper towel.

• TIP: I recommend wiping the pan if your kielbasa is quite smoky (most kiełbasas are), as the smoky flavour can become too dominant. This is, however, down to personal preference.

4. Cook vegetables: Cut the zucchini lengthwise then cut it into ¼ - inch thick slices. Using the same pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil, add the zucchini and pepper and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes until softened and the zucchini is lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Towards the end of cooking stir in the spices.

5. Assemble: Return the kielbasa to the pan and add the stock. Whisk the sauce base into the mixture until thoroughly combined. Cook for 2 minutes.

6. Serve: Remove from the heat, stir in the fresh parsley and cheese (if using) and adjust the seasoning if required. Combine with the pasta and serve.

Serving suggestions

You can serve this kielbasa pasta with mozzarella-style grated cheese, but this is optional – the combination of smoked kielbasa, vegetables and herbs is so delicious the cheese isn’t really necessary. It’s perfect served on its own.

Optional ingredients you can use to make pasta with kielbasa

• Mushrooms (pan-fry separately and add in at the end).
• Ready-cooked green beans (stir in at the end).
• Garden peas/petits pois (add from frozen along with the hot stock).
• Fresh baby spinach (add in at the end).

What can I make ahead

• Pasta: Boil the pasta, strain and cool completely then add a little oil, stir, cover and refrigerate overnight. Reheat in the microwave before combining with the kielbasa sauce.
• Kielbasa: Brown it, as in Step 3, transfer to a bowl, cool completely then cover and refrigerate overnight. Reheat in the microwave before adding into the mixture.
• Sauce: You can prepare the entire sauce and refrigerate it overnight. When ready to serve your pasta with kielbasa reheat the sauce before combining with freshly boiled (or prepared earlier then reheated) pasta.

Top tips

• Preparing kielbasa: Traditional smoked kielbasa sausage usually does not require peeling. However, if the casing is very thick it may need to be removed (follow packaging instructions).
• To save time prepare the sauce while you are waiting for the pasta to cook.
• You shouldn’t need to add salt (both kielbasa as well as stock are salty) but be generous with pepper.
• Combine the kiełbasa vegetable sauce with the pasta just before serving.
• Leftover kielbasa with pasta can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days. Add a splash of water before reheating it.
• Freeze the sauce (without the pasta) for up to 3 months. If using previously frozen kielbasa do not freeze this dish.

Related recipes to try next

• Sour Cream Chicken Pasta
• Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta Bake
• Creamy Salmon Pasta Bake (Healthy)
• Brussels Sprouts Pasta Bake

See also these other easy meal ideas, traditional Polish recipes as well as more pasta dishes!

Recipe

Keep in touch!

If you make this kiełbasa pasta I'd love to know how it turned out for you. What kind of kiełbasa did you use? Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)

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