Skillet Ziti with Chicken Sausage takes comfort food to a whole new level with just 4 simple ingredients and one non-stick skillet!
I came to terms with something regarding cooking this week. Something’s gotta give. Meaning, 100% homemade meals isn’t happening right now. As much as I love using fresh and minimally processed foods when I make meals for my family, cooking isn’t as relaxing or there’s just not enough time in the day as there used to be [pre-toddlers]. So I’m making a compromise with myself and using minimally processed foods when possible, but not feeling “bad” or “unhealthy” when I do turn to jarred tomato sauce, frozen pizza, or boxed mac n’ cheese. SO, now that that’s off my chest, are you ready for my new favorite jarred tomato sauce recipe? The boys and I loved this skillet ziti with chicken sausage so much I might just make it again this week. As in tomorrow!
What I love about this particular skillet dinner is the pasta was cooked in the sauce! So really it was a one-dish meal. You can also add in some green veggies for color and nutrition [think frozen spinach, broccoli florets, peas] but we decided to keep it simple and enjoyed some roasted broccoli as a side dish. The boys were of course A-OK with me adding Parmesan cheese on top!
If you’ve subscribed to my email updates and received my free 5-ingredient skillet dinner printable, you’ll notice this recipe for skillet ziti with chicken sausage is just one of those variations! Except as I mentioned above, I cooked the pasta in the skillet, so I needed to add more pasta sauce and broth. If you haven’t seen the skillet printable, you can sign-up for it here! And if you already have it, take some notes on the printable for this skillet ziti version.
- 4 links chicken sausage, sliced thin [I use Al Fresco]
- 2 cups marinara sauce [I use Trader Joe's roasted garlic]
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups ziti pasta, uncooked
- Parmesan cheese, grated, for serving
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add remaining ingredients. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 12-15 minutes, until pasta is cooked.
- Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese.
AND remember, no judging from this registered dietitian if you decide to use jarred tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, curry sauce, you name it. Just don’t be afraid to compare prices, ingredient lists, and nutrition facts labels on different brands. And if you have the time, try making my favorite marinara sauce, aka Sunday Gravy. It’s definitely meant for Sunday cooking… not Tuesday night at 5pm!
This makes me smile because when Micah was born, something had to give and I started buying jarred marinara sauce regularly. (Don’t tell my grandpa). I love that you cooked this entire dinner in the skillet, I have to start doing that with pasta!! My kids would seriously gobble this up!
What could be easier. I think I’ll make this tonight!
I remember telling you that making my own baby food didn’t make the cut when the kids were little for this very reason. We still do *pretty* well for dinners and the rest, but there is no shame in an assist from some pre-prepped food here and there. Rotisserie chickens anyone?
Sounds delicious!! Hope it turns out well!