This kielbasa pasta is the epitome of comfort food, but with some twists to make it lighter! It's almost like the grown-up version of putting sliced hot dogs in your mac-n-cheese. The sauce is lighter than you'd expect since it's made with Greek yogurt, it's basically the Dijon version of my light "Alfredo" sauce from the Blacked Cajun Chicken with Light Fettuccine "Alfredo" recipe. This dish certainly isn't light overall, but the Greek yogurt sauce is much lower calorie than a traditional cream based sauce, making this recipe something I'm happy to make a little more often. I almost always make this dish with turkey kielbasa, which has about half the calories and fat of classic kielbasa.
The whole thing comes together pretty quickly, making it perfect for a busy weeknight. You can cook the kielbasa and make the sauce while the pasta boils. Optionally, put the whole thing under the broiler in your oven to char the top before serving.
Key Tips - Kielbasa Pasta with Light Dijon Sauce
Use turkey kielbasa for a lighter dish.
- Feel free to use any variety of kielbasa or other similar precooked sausage. Turkey kielbasa has about half the calories and fat of classic kielbasa made from pork and beef, but is still super delicious!
- For the batch pictured, I used Hillshire Farms brand Turkey Kielbasa.
- When made with turkey kielbasa, there are around 550 calories per serving.
Use fresh Parmesan cheese.
- This recipe relies on the Parmesan cheese melting nicely into the sauce. Unfortunately, the kind of Parmesan that comes in a can may not melt down nicely, so try to grate the Parmesan yourself if possible. Bagged pre-shredded Parmesan cheese should work okay as well!
Taste-test the dijon sauce.
- I always make this recipe using 3 tablespoon of Grey Poupon Country Coarse Ground Dijon, but if you're using a different Dijon mustard, you should taste test the sauce to make sure you use the perfect amount. If you substitute standard Dijon (that isn't coarse ground or whole grain) you'll probably need less than 3 tbsp.
Variations - Kielbasa Pasta with Light Dijon Sauce
Substitute whole milk Greek yogurt.
- If desired, this recipe can be made with whole milk yogurt instead of the non-fat variety called for in the recipe. This makes the recipe a little more rich!
Make it cheesy!
- While this recipe calls for Parmesan cheese, the sauce is not really "cheesy". If you want a cheesy sauce, add ½ cup of low moisture mozzarella cheese!
Dietary Restrictions - Kielbasa Pasta with Light Dijon Sauce
Make it Gluten-Free
- Use Gluten-Free pasta. My favorite variety is Chickpea Pasta!
- Make sure you're using gluten-free chicken stock.
Make it Vegetarian
- Use vegan or vegetarian sausages.
- Use water or vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
A Note On Serving Sizes
Serving sizes are a very personal thing, making it very difficult for me to select a serving size that suits everyone. While this is listed as 4 servings, some people would prefer to have more than one serving. I typically serve this dish as 2-3 large dinner portions.
Kielbasa Pasta with Light Dijon Sauce
Ingredients
- 12-14 oz turkey kielbasa or other kielbasa, thinly sliced
- 8 oz penne pasta or similar
- ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 1 single serve container
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese divided
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon corn starch
- 2-3 tablespoon coarse ground Dijon mustard I use Grey Poupon Country Dijon
- ½ tablespoon freshly minced garlic
- salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions while completing the other steps. Drain and keep warm.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the sliced kielbasa and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to brown and crisp, a few minutes per side. Remove from the pan to a paper towel lined plate, don’t wipe the pan clean.
- Reduce the heat of the pan slightly. Dissolve the corn starch in the chicken stock, then when fully combined, add to the pan (be careful, this may splatter with the remaining oil).
- Let the chicken stock mixture come to a simmer, then slowly whisk in the yogurt, a few tablespoons at a time. I like to use a flat whisk for this step.
- Once combined and simmering again, add the garlic, ½ cup of the parmesan cheese, and the dijon (2 tablespoon - 3 tbsp, adjust to taste based on how strong your dijon is and how strong you want it to be in the sauce - I use 3 tbsp). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low until ready to use.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss until it's fully coated. Top with the sliced kielbasa, gently folding it into the pasta, then top with the remaining ¼ cup of Parmesan. Remove from heat.
- Optional Step - Place the dish under the broiler in your oven for 2-3 minutes, watching closely to make sure nothing burns. Make sure your skillet is oven-safe for this step! This melts the cheese and gets the top a little crispy. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
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If you like this recipe, you may also like my Light Fettuccine Alfredo, Homemade Pretzel Dogs, or Homemade Spaghettios with Franks.
Send me pictures of your creations -- it'll make my day! Message @CraftyCookbook on Instagram, email me ([email protected]), or tag me in a post! Please note, tagged posts are only visible to me if your account is public. Did you make any interesting changes or substitutions for this recipe? Tell me about them in the comment section below!
Peter says
Delicious recipe. The creamy sauce and salt temper the acidity of the mustard and make it an overall delicious sauce. I love kielbasa and was so happy to find a recipe using it in creative ways! Those who like cheesiness may want to add a bit more parmesan to the sauce.
Anonymous says
Super yummy! Made this for dinner the other night and it was a definite win. I had some trouble with the sauce but I'm new to cooking so I blame me on that, lol.
Tim says
It really is not heavy at all, it was a delight to eat and really simple to prep/cook. The mustard sets this off perfectly. I did use Lincolnshire sausages as had no kielbasa and also topped it with fresh basil (I eat alot of basil in EVERYTHING) seriously 10/10 For my own input I would pair with ciabatta garlic bread with a drizzle of olive oil. Perfection.
Jacqueline Schell says
Thanks so much, those mods sound awesome!
Larry Valid says
Made this a month ago and it was good, I need to adjust the amount of Dijon for next time. I did 2.5T and it was a wee heavy. Maybe a hair less garlic than 1/2T as well. I did have an issue mixing the cornstarch with 2t olive oil and had to add the stock to keep it from clumping. This could be due to using turkey kielbasa instead of beef. Because of that, this review isn't an accurate representation of the recipe you provided but may be good for those who want less fat in the dish to be aware of.
Good flavor overall and easy to make for 4 people. I will be writing down to save this in the recipe box.
Jacqueline Schell says
Thank you for your feedback! I'm going to experiment with adding the cornstarch to the chicken stock instead of directly to the pan and see if that effects the final texture. The cornstarch is supposed to absorb the oil and form a roux but I think that isnt going well for a number of people. Really appreciate your insight!
Kaarin says
This was so delicious and SUPER quick and easy! My husband haaaates anything mustard but liked this! It’s not overly mustard-y, just enough to make it light and tangy. Will definitely make again!
Jacqueline Schell says
Thanks so much for commenting, glad to hear your husband enjoyed it too!
Alana says
This is a new favorite in our house! The sauce is so flavorful but so much lighter than most cream sauces I've tried. Thanks for sharing!!
Anonymous says
Thank you for your sharing. I have run out of creative ideas for dinner and this is so helpfu!
Emily says
I wasnt really sure what to expect with the greek yogurt but my finance and I both really liked this!! Will for sure make it again!
Patty D says
loved this!