Rotel Pasta
Creamy Rotel Pasta is a rich, cheesy skillet dinner with tender penne, spicy Italian sausage, and a creamy sauce made with Rotel tomatoes and green chiles. It’s got a little kick, plenty of melty cheese, and it comes together in one pan with pantry staples. Easy enough for a weeknight and hearty enough that everyone goes back for seconds. Ready in about 20 minutes and serves 6.
There’s a can of Rotel in your pantry right now. There’s a can of Rotel in everyone’s pantry. It’s just always there, quietly waiting for someone to remember it exists.
This is that moment.
Rotel is diced tomatoes with green chiles already in them, which means it does two jobs for the price of one and brings actual heat to a cream sauce that could otherwise be a little sleepy. Add Italian sausage, a mountain of cheese, and penne, and you’ve got a skillet dinner that tastes like it took real effort. It took twenty minutes.
The first time I made this I wasn’t expecting the kick and it turned out to be the best part. It’s now one of the most requested things in this house, and the leftovers hold up beautifully. If you love what Rotel does to a dish, my Rotel Chili and Baked Chicken Spaghetti are both working the same angle.
More Easy Pasta Dinners
- Creamy Beef and Shells – one pot stovetop beef and pasta comfort
- Mexican Spaghetti – Tex Mex spiced spaghetti with cheesy tomato sauce
- Baked Spaghetti Casserole – oven baked spaghetti with cheese topping
- Ground Beef Alfredo – creamy Alfredo with hearty ground beef
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
Rotel – This is the whole point. It’s diced tomatoes plus green chiles, so you get acid and heat in one go. Can’t find it? Mix diced tomatoes with green chiles, a squeeze of lime, and some cilantro.
Italian Sausage – Brings fat and seasoning to the party. Ground beef, rotisserie chicken, or diced chicken breast all work if that’s what you’ve got.
Cream Cheese – Melts into the sauce and makes it velvety in a way heavy cream alone can’t manage. Cube it small so it melts evenly instead of sitting there in stubborn lumps.
Shredded Cheese – A Mexican blend is the best match for the Rotel, but cheddar or Velveeta work. Shred your own if you want the smoothest melt.
Cajun Seasoning – My Homemade Cajun Seasoning gives it a savory backbone. Taco Seasoning is a good swap and leans it more Tex Mex.
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How To Make Rotel Pasta
- Cook the penne in salted water according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, crumble and cook the Italian sausage until no pink remains. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and pour off the excess fat.
- Add the butter and diced onion to the skillet and cook until the onion softens. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Sprinkle in the flour and cook 1 minute to lose the raw flour taste.
- Pour in the heavy cream, half and half, and both cans of Rotel. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the Cajun seasoning, salt, pepper, cream cheese, and shredded cheese, stirring until everything is melted and smooth.
- Add the cooked pasta and sausage back to the skillet and stir to combine. Garnish with parsley and serve.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat: Microwave leftover Rotel pasta in 1 minute intervals or bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes until heated through. The sauce might dry out a little but you can fix that.
Bring the Sauce Back: Add a splash of chicken broth or milk when reheating. The pasta absorbs the sauce overnight and needs help loosening back up.
Don’t Freeze: Cream sauces separate and go grainy after freezing, and the pasta softens. This one’s best fresh or refrigerated.
Variations
Different Protein: Ground beef, rotisserie chicken, or diced chicken breast all work. Leftover chicken in this sauce is genuinely excellent.
Rotel Chicken Spaghetti: Swap the sausage for chicken and the penne for spaghetti and you’ve got a whole different dinner. Or chicken sausage like in this Jambalaya Pasta.
Sneak In Veggies: Diced green bell pepper disappears right into the Rotel mixture and nobody will notice. It looks like the chilies so you can fool them!
Make It Milder: Use mild Rotel, or make your own mix with diced tomatoes and just a few green chiles so you control the heat.
Different Seasoning: Swap the Cajun for my Taco Seasoning for more of a Tex Mex flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rotel is canned diced tomatoes with green chiles mixed in. It adds both acidity and heat in one step, which is why it shows up in so many easy recipes.
Mix diced tomatoes with green chiles, a squeeze of lime juice, and a little cilantro. It won’t be identical but it gets you close.
Use mild Rotel, or build your own mix so you control exactly how many green chiles go in. You can also cut the Cajun seasoning back.
Yes. Use your favorite gluten free pasta and save extra pasta water, since gluten free pasta tends to need a little more liquid to keep the sauce from tightening up.
Add reserved pasta water a splash at a time while it’s still in the skillet. The starch smooths it out and thins it without watering down the flavor.
I wouldn’t. Cream based sauces separate when thawed and the pasta goes soft. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days, which is usually plenty.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cook the pasta in generously salted water. It’s the only chance you get to season the noodles themselves.
- Save more pasta water than you think you need. It’s the fix for a sauce that gets too thick.
- Cube the cream cheese small so it melts smoothly into the sauce.
- Drain the sausage well so the sauce doesn’t turn greasy.
- Shred your own cheese for a smoother melt, since pre shredded has anti caking agents that fight you.
This Creamy Rotel Pasta recipe is cheesy, spicy, and on the table in 20 minutes. Make it for your next busy weeknight and watch everyone go back for seconds!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Rotel Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 20 ounces Rotel
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened, cubed
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese Mexican blend is best but use whatever
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions and drain. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water for later.
- In a large skillet crumble the Italian sausage and cook over medium heat until no longer pink.
- Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Remove excess fat from pan.
- Add the 2 tablespoons butter and diced onion. Cook until onion starts to soften. Add in minced garlic, stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Sprinkle in the 2 tablespoons of flour. Stir and cook for a minute to remove the raw flour taste. Pour in heavy cream, half and half, and both cans Rotel.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the spices, cream cheese, and shredded cheese. Cook while stirring until the cream cheese and shredded cheese is melted.
- Add the cooked sausage and pasta to the skillet. Stir to combine everything.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Notes
- Cook the pasta in generously salted water. It’s the only chance you get to season the noodles themselves.
- Save more pasta water than you think you need. It’s the fix for a sauce that gets too thick.
- Cube the cream cheese small so it melts smoothly into the sauce.
- Drain the sausage well so the sauce doesn’t turn greasy.
- Shred your own cheese for a smoother melt, since pre shredded has anti caking agents that fight you.
Nutrition
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