Use extra or leftover grilled bratwurst to make this creamy, easy bratwurst pasta made with rigatoni pasta! Ready in about 30 minutes and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Bratwurst is not something I grew up eating. Surprising, considering my German heritage! It just wasn’t something that my Mom fixed, whether it was a grilled bratwurst on a bun, or a more creative recipe like this bratwurst pasta.

When I married my husband, he quickly discovered that brats weren’t in our regular summer grilling rotation and petitioned me to start buying brats.

Easy Bratwurst Pasta Recipe

My husband’s family boils their brats in beer to keep them nice and juicy, and then throws them on the grill to finish them. This method keeps them nice and juicy.

Easy Bratwurst Pasta Recipe

Sometimes, I have leftover brats in the fridge from grilling them or making Oven Roasted Bratwurst with Peppers and Onions or Delicious Beer Brats with Red Pepper Relish. You can always put a leftover brat on a bun, but we wanted to do something different with them.

And other times, we buy a pack of brats and then we get rained on, so we can’t grill them like we had planned! I created this easy bratwurst pasta recipe with those extra leftover brats in mind!

Brats are made for grilling, but all good cooks need a backup plan! This pasta is slightly reminiscent of my creamy Cajun pasta, using many of the same spices you find in creole pasta dishes.

I used rigatoni pasta, but you could truly use whatever pasta you had on hand.

As always, treat this recipe as a base for your creativity! Here are some suggestions for additions:

  • Add mushrooms to the skillet along with the cooked, sliced bratwurst.
  • Add fresh herbs towards the end of the cooking time; oregano, basil, parsley and thyme are wonderful additions.
  • Add diced vegetables (zucchini and yellow squash are great) when you return the cooked bratwurst to the pan.
  • Add 1/2 of a diced yellow onion. Allow to sauté for 2-3 minutes before returning the cooked bratwurst to the skillet.
  • Garnish with shredded mozzarella or grated parmesan cheese.

Remember, I used rigatoni pasta for this recipe, but using whatever type of pasta you have on hand is a GOOD idea and great way to manage your pantry! 

Easy Bratwurst Pasta Recipe

Easy Bratwurst Pasta

Yield: Serves 5
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Use extra or leftover grilled bratwurst to make this creamy, easy bratwurst pasta made with rigatoni pasta! Ready in about 30 minutes and perfect for a quick weeknight meal.

Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 14.5 ounces diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
  • ¾ cup chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried basil
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package instructions.
  2. In a large skillet, sauté the bratwurst sausage on medium high until cooked through, about ten minutes.
  3. Slice the cooked sausage into bite-sized pieces and return to the skillet.
  4. To the skillet, add cream cheese and diced tomatoes, then reduce heat to low. Stir constantly until cream cheese melts.
  5. Add chicken broth and spices into skillet, stir until well combined.
  6. Add cooked pasta to skillet, stir to coat the pasta with cream sauce.
  7. Serve warm.

Notes

If your bratwurst is already cooked, congratulations! You get to skip Step #2 and save some time. 

If you don't have bratwurst, consider substituting pre-cooked smoked sausage. Just slice it and move on to step #2!

If you are worried about the spice level, please completely omit the cayenne pepper!

I have started using this pasta recipe for leftover pot roast, too! Just substitute shredded leftover pot roast for the bratwurst and heat in the skillet.

Nutrition Information
Yield 5 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 674Total Fat 44gSaturated Fat 19gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 21gCholesterol 114mgSodium 1450mgCarbohydrates 47gFiber 5gSugar 6gProtein 23g

The nutrition for this recipe is calculated by an app, and may be incorrect.

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