Sticky Honey Garlic Sausage Pasta (Printable Version)

Savory sausage and penne pasta in a sweet, sticky honey garlic glaze with bell peppers and onions.

# Ingredient List:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz smoked sausage (kielbasa or andouille), sliced

→ Pasta

02 - 10 oz penne or rigatoni

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
06 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish

→ Sauce

07 - 3 tablespoons honey
08 - 2 tablespoons soy sauce
09 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
11 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
12 - 2/3 cup chicken broth
13 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Oil

14 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced sausage and cook until browned, approximately 4–5 minutes. Remove sausage from skillet and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add onion and bell pepper. Sauté until softened, about 3–4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Return sausage to the skillet. Stir in honey, soy sauce, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and achieves a glossy consistency.
05 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to coat all components in the sticky glaze. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
06 - Stir in fresh parsley and serve hot. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

# Tips from hearthlykitchen:

01 -
  • The honey garlic glaze achieves that perfect balance of sweet and savory that makes everyone reach for seconds
  • Everything cooks in one skillet, which means dinner is ready in 35 minutes with minimal cleanup
02 -
  • The sauce will look thin at first but will thicken beautifully as it simmers, so resist the urge to add more liquid
  • Don't skip searing the sausage before adding it back in, as those browned bits add incredible depth to the final dish
03 -
  • Cut your sausage into coins that are roughly the same thickness so they cook evenly
  • Use a light colored honey if you want the sauce to stay amber and beautiful, or dark honey for a deeper molasses like flavor

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