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One Pot Pasta With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella

October 11, 2015

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One Pot Fusilli With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella on a wood plate.

Weeknight dinner prep is a real struggle lately.  I think as the boys are getting more involved in activities and homework is more of a thing, the amount of time I have to get dinner ready is minimal.  If something takes more than 20-30 minutes to make, it’s probably not going to happen!  But I really try to make sitting down together at dinnertime a priority for most nights, and this One Pot Pasta With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella has saved the day on more than one occasion lately.  It also has sausage, but honestly the title was getting a little wordy so I had to stop somewhere.

Sausage being browned in a large pan for the One Pot Fusilli With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella.
A large pan with a wooden spoon, showing the broth and tomatoes have been added for the One Pot Fusilli With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella.
A large pan with all the ingredients for the One Pot Fusilli With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella in it.

And when I say, one pot, I mean ONE POT!  Which makes clean-up so fast!  There’s also very minimal chopping and prep work to get this one pot party started, so that helps too.  It’s super simple and I feel like it can stand on it’s own for a quick weeknight dinner, without any sides to mess with.  But if you do have time, a nice crusty french loaf and a simply dressed leafy green salad are the perfect thing.

One Pot Fusilli With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella in a large pan.

Those cute little fresh mozzarella balls (quick Italian lesson: Ciliegine – see-lay-genie meaning “small cherry” ) go in at the last minute, and the warmth of the pasta makes them soften into the most beautifully creamy little blobs (so fancy).  My favorite part for sure!  For having so few ingredients, this pasta packs great flavor.  The fresh garlic, Italian sausage, and dried basil leaves really give it a boost, and the cooking the pasta in a chicken broth based sauce is the very best secret of all for super flavorful pasta dishes.

One Pot Fusilli With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella in a large pan with a wood serving spoon.

While this recipe calls for dried basil leaves, additional fresh basil is also a good thing too, if you have some.  I had just a few little usable leaves after my basil plant was consumed by some tiny secret ninja garden pest.  Literally overnight, my basil went from lush and abundant to wilted and pathetic.  Any advice for what to put on herbs to keep pests from turning their leaves into lace?

One Pot Fusilli With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella served on a wood plate, with a glass of water and the large pan of pasta in the background.

At least they left enough to tear up and sprinkle over my pasta, just for a pop of freshness.  Hope you get a chance to try this one pot wonder!  I think I’m going back for one more bowl…

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One Pot Pasta With Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Julie
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

The perfect ONE POT weeknight dinner solution. Clean up takes no time, and the flavor is amazing!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
  • 2–3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes in sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
  • 3 cups uncooked fusilli pasta
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 4 ounces Ciliegine* fresh mozzarella, halved
  • 5 leaves fresh basil, torn (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large pan with medium high heat, crumble and brown the sausage in the olive oil until no longer pink. Add pressed garlic into the pan and stir constantly, cooking for one minute.
  2. Slowly add the chicken broth, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, sugar, basil leaves, pasta. Bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat down to medium low.
  3. Allow pasta to gently simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring twice.
  4. When the pasta is just about done, remove the lid, stir in the heavy cream, and turn the heat up to bring the sauce to a gentle boil. Allow to boil for 2-3 minutes uncovered stirring frequently, or until sauce is slightly thickened. It will continue to thicken as it cools.
  5. Dot the top with fresh mozzarella (the heat of the pasta will soften it) and sprinkle with fresh basil if desired. Allow to set for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Notes

*I found these little balls of fresh mozzarella at Trader Joe’s


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Serving
  • Calories: 592
  • Sugar: 9.6g
  • Sodium: 1284mg
  • Fat: 26g
  • Saturated Fat: 11g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 15.9g
  • Trans Fat: 0.1g
  • Carbohydrates: 62g
  • Fiber: 4.3g
  • Protein: 27g
  • Cholesterol: 61mg

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Filed Under: Healthy, Main Dish, Pasta, Pork

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Comments

  1. Sarah Kasch (Sarah's Attic Of Treasures) says

    October 11, 2015 at 10:29 pm

    I love simple meals like this.
    Reblogging.
    Have a wonderful week/ Sarah

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 12, 2015 at 12:55 pm

      Thanks so much Sarah! Hope you get a chance to try it.

      Reply
      • Sarah Kasch (Sarah's Attic Of Treasures) says

        October 12, 2015 at 4:59 pm

        Julie,
        I know we will. Have a wonderful Tuesday,
        Sarah

        Reply
  2. Liza says

    October 20, 2015 at 7:46 am

    I made this last night and it was very easy and delicious! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 20, 2015 at 7:48 am

      Oh yay! Thanks so much for letting me know how it worked out for you Liza!

      Reply
  3. Jen says

    December 19, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    Love this dish. By the way, you may be able to protect your herb garden by spraying them with a soap mixture – my husband uses castile soap and distilled water. You have to wash after harvesting, of course, but you’re not using harsh chemicals or pesticides.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      December 19, 2015 at 3:24 pm

      So glad you liked it Jen, and thanks so much for that gardening tip!

      Reply
  4. Sharon says

    December 20, 2015 at 2:00 pm

    HI Julie! I plan on making this dish for Christmas this year but I just had a question. Do you strain the canned diced tomatoes and then add them? Or should we add the entire can of juice and diced tomatoes? Thanks for this recipe! Can’t wait to make it! 🙂

    Reply
    • Julie says

      December 20, 2015 at 3:26 pm

      Hi Sharon, no you don’t have to drain the tomatoes. Enjoy!

      Reply
      • Sharon says

        December 26, 2015 at 12:45 pm

        This was a great hit at our Christmas dinner last night! Thanks so much for the recipe, Julie! Everyone loved it! Can’t wait to try out other recipes of yours!

        Reply
        • Julie says

          December 26, 2015 at 12:51 pm

          You are very welcome Sharon, so glad everyone loved it!

          Reply
  5. Sue says

    March 16, 2016 at 3:41 pm

    I couldn’t find fusilli pasta, but I found rotini. Would I use the same amount? Thanks!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      March 16, 2016 at 4:58 pm

      Yes same amount. Enjoy!

      Reply
  6. pee says

    April 4, 2016 at 4:20 pm

    we usually make that with meat balls,but love this twist

    Reply
  7. Jonnie says

    July 21, 2016 at 10:03 am

    Regarding the bugs, I use garlic spray. I mince my garlic in a chopper – take out a spoonful – rinse it and preserve the water – fill my spray bottle and voila! Word to the wise, don’t save the leftovers. It develops an awful odor after a few days.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      July 22, 2016 at 8:58 am

      Good to know, thanks Jonnie!

      Reply
  8. Emily says

    September 12, 2016 at 10:55 am

    Do you take the sausage out before you add the garlic, pasta, etc?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      September 12, 2016 at 11:14 am

      Hi Emily. No need to take out the sausage. Hope you enjoy!

      Reply
      • Emily says

        September 12, 2016 at 11:53 am

        thank you! looking forward to this!

        Reply
  9. Rayjay says

    September 21, 2016 at 3:03 pm

    Hi Julie, can I use whipped cream if I can’t find heavy cream?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      September 21, 2016 at 4:00 pm

      Hi! Yes I think it is sometimes labeled whipping cream, and other times heavy cream. But it should not be sweetened whipped cream, like you would squirt on pie.

      Reply
      • Rayjay says

        September 21, 2016 at 10:19 pm

        Thank you! After a bit of googling heavy cream alternatives I ended up using half and half cream, the recipe was delicious!

        Reply
  10. Nancy says

    October 11, 2016 at 6:54 pm

    This recipe is so yummy and great for a weeknight when there isn’t much time between arrival from and kids going to bed with homework and bath in between. Love it!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 14, 2016 at 6:59 am

      Exactly Nancy. Glad it worked well for you!

      Reply
  11. Vanessa Medina says

    November 15, 2016 at 6:12 pm

    My husband and I made this tonight. What an awesome recipe! We will definitely be making this part of our recipe repertoire. The cream definitely adds extra richness and fresh basil is exceptional here. A must try!

    Reply
    • Julie says

      November 16, 2016 at 11:40 am

      That’s great! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you :0)

      Reply
  12. Mary says

    April 18, 2017 at 1:28 pm

    Do you put the olive oil in the pan before you add the sausage?

    Reply
    • Julie says

      April 18, 2017 at 1:56 pm

      Mary, good question. I’ll revise the recipe instructions so that is more clear. Yes, add the olive oil to the pan before the sausage. Enjoy!

      Reply
  13. Darlene says

    January 16, 2019 at 1:18 pm

    Do you think I could make this today, freeze it for travel, and serve it tomorrow night?

    Reply
  14. Georgie says

    October 11, 2019 at 7:24 pm

    Made it tonight, used Italian sausage and my favourite bow tie pasta, otherwise stuck to the recipe. Simple and quick to make and simply delicious! I will be trying out your other recipes. Thank you Julie.

    Reply
    • Julie says

      October 15, 2019 at 7:31 pm

      Thank you, Georgie. I hope you find some more recipes to try!

      Reply
  15. Georgie says

    October 11, 2019 at 7:27 pm

    I omitted to write ‘hot’ Italian sausage. It gave it a nice kick.

    Reply
  16. Jennifer says

    April 6, 2022 at 5:51 pm

    Hey if feeding a lot of people would you use a large sauce pot if I’m tripling the recipe?

    Reply

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Hi I'm Julie, and I spend a lot of time in my lovely little kitchen. I love gathering my family around simple delicious food. This is how I do it. Learn more →

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