Smoked Sausage Pasta Salad Recipe
This Smoked Sausage Pasta Salad is a flavorful and hearty dish perfect for gatherings or meal prep. Featuring tender rotini noodles tossed with savory smoked beef sausage seasoned with barbecue rub, fresh cherry tomatoes, red onions, black olives, and cubed cheddar cheese, all combined in a zesty dressing made from mayonnaise, Italian dressing, and a kick of sriracha for spice. Chilled for an hour to meld flavors, it's a delicious and satisfying salad that balances creamy, smoky, tangy, and spicy elements.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 27 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings
- Category: Salad
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Meat
- 14 oz beef smoked sausage ring
- 1 tbsp barbecue rub
Pasta
- 1 lb rotini noodles
Vegetables & Cheese
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup sliced black olives
- 8 oz cheddar cheese (cubed)
Dressing
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup Italian dressing
- 1-2 tbsp sriracha sauce (adjust to preferred spice level)
Instructions
- Prepare Sausage: Slice the beef smoked sausage ring into ½-inch slices, then cut each slice in half to create half-moons. Place them in a skillet over medium heat, sprinkle with barbecue rub, and cook while stirring to evenly heat and coat the sausage.
- Cook Noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add rotini noodles and cook for 10-12 minutes until tender. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water while stirring to chill the noodles thoroughly. Transfer cooled noodles into a large mixing bowl.
- Prepare Vegetables and Cheese: Halve the cherry or grape tomatoes, dice the red onion, slice the black olives, and cube the cheddar cheese.
- Make Dressing: In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, Italian dressing, and sriracha sauce. Mix well to create a smooth dressing with a spicy kick.
- Combine Ingredients: Pour the dressing over the chilled noodles and stir well to coat. Add the cooked sausage, tomatoes, onions, olives, and cubed cheddar cheese to the bowl. Toss all ingredients together until evenly mixed.
- Chill: Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Serve chilled.
Notes
- Adjust sriracha amount based on your preferred spice tolerance.
- Use any smoked sausage variety if beef smoked sausage is unavailable.
- Rotini noodles work best for holding dressing, but you can substitute with other short pasta like fusilli or penne.
- For a lighter version, substitute mayonnaise with Greek yogurt.
- This salad can be prepared a day ahead and kept refrigerated.
Find it online: https://recipethrive.com/smoked-sausage-pasta-salad-recipe/
