Sticky Honey Garlic Sausage Pasta (Printable)
Savory smoked sausage and penne pasta coated in rich honey garlic sauce. This one-pan skillet dinner balances sweet and savory flavors perfectly.
# What you need:
→ Meats
01 - 14 oz smoked sausage, sliced into rounds
→ Pantry Staples
02 - 9 oz penne or fusilli pasta, dry
03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
05 - 3 tbsp honey
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
→ Aromatics
07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
→ Liquids
09 - 1 ½ cups chicken broth
→ Herbs & Spices
10 - 1 tsp dried chili flakes
11 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste
→ Garnish
12 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
# Directions:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain well and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes until evenly browned and caramelized.
03 - Add sliced onion to the skillet and sauté for 3 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, and tomato paste. Stir thoroughly to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Add cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss well to coat evenly in sauce. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and clings to pasta.
06 - Season with chili flakes and black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and garnish with fresh parsley before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The honey garlic sauce coats every single piece of pasta, ensuring no bland bites exist
- Ready in 35 minutes but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
- Perfect balance of sweet and savory that satisfies everyone at the table
02 -
- Do not skip the step of scraping the bottom of the pan when adding the liquid
- The sauce will look thin at first but thickens perfectly as it simmers with the pasta
- Reserve some pasta water in case you need to loosen the sauce at the very end
03 -
- Cut the sausage slightly thicker than you think you should so it does not dry out
- Taste the sauce before adding the pasta back in and adjust the honey or soy sauce balance