🍯🧄🍝 Sticky Honey Garlic Sausage Pasta Skillet
Serves: 4
🧾 Ingredients
Sausage & Aromatics
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1 lb smoked sausage or kielbasa, sliced into rounds
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1 tbsp olive oil (optional if sausage is fatty)
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1 small onion, diced
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3–4 cloves garlic, minced
Honey Garlic Sauce
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⅓ cup honey
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¼ cup soy sauce
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2 tbsp brown sugar
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1 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)
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½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
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½ tsp black pepper
Pasta
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8 oz short pasta (penne, rotini, bowties)
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2 cups chicken broth
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1 cup water
Finish
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2 tbsp butter
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½ cup Parmesan cheese
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Optional: chopped green onions or parsley
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Optional: 1 tbsp hot sauce for a spicy-sweet kick
🍳 Instructions
1️⃣ Brown the Sausage
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Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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Add olive oil if needed and sear sausage slices until browned and caramelized on both sides.
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Remove sausage and set aside.
2️⃣ Cook the Aromatics
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In the same skillet, add onion and cook 2–3 minutes.
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Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
3️⃣ Add Pasta & Liquids
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Add pasta, chicken broth, and water.
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Stir, cover, and simmer 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally until pasta is cooked and liquid mostly absorbed.
4️⃣ Make It Sticky
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Add the browned sausage back into the skillet.
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Pour in honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, pepper flakes, and black pepper.
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Stir and simmer 3–5 minutes until glossy and sticky.
5️⃣ Finish
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Stir in butter and Parmesan until creamy and shiny.
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Taste and adjust sweetness, saltiness, or heat.
6️⃣ Serve
Top with green onions, parsley, or extra Parmesan. Serve hot!
⭐ Tips & Variations
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Creamy Version: Add ¼ cup heavy cream at the end.
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Veggie Add-ins: Broccoli florets, bell peppers, spinach, or snap peas.
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Protein Swap: Works with chicken sausage or andouille for heat.
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Extra sticky: Add 1 extra tablespoon of honey and simmer 1 more minute.
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Spicy: Add sriracha or chili crisp at the end.
If you’d like, I can also give you:
🔥 Spicy honey garlic kielbasa noodles
🍯 Creamy honey garlic chicken pasta
🥘 One-pot smoked sausage alfredo
