Transport yourself to Italy with Italian Nachos topped with hot sausage, a creamy mozzarella nacho cheese sauce, fresh tomatoes, and basil. Serve as an appetizer or as a cozy dinner for two.
One of the perks of cooking for myself is being able to eat what I want, when I want.
Some friends say if they were in my position they’d eat pancakes or even cold cereal for dinner. I’ve never been tempted to eat boxed cereal for supper — it rarely fills me up in the morning, so why choose it at night?
I do plan real dinners most nights: pasta, steak fajitas, soup, chicken, and occasionally a frozen pizza. But every so often I change my mind five minutes before I start prepping, and then I either follow through with the plan or shift gears and cook whatever I’m craving that day.
Sometimes that craving is for snacks — I’m a fan of salty, savory bites (like Salt and Vinegar Popcorn or Chili Cheese Popcorn). While snacks aren’t a daily dinner solution, it’s nice to have a few playful meal ideas on hand.
Recently I’ve been dreaming about nachos. I love nacho cheese dip and hadn’t made nachos in a long time, so I created an Italian twist: Italian Nachos topped with hot Italian sausage, a mozzarella-based nacho cheese sauce, fresh tomatoes, and chopped basil.
Imagine caprese and spicy sausage joining forces atop crunchy Pasta Chips — it’s a fun fusion that delivers big flavor. One bite and you’ll feel transported to a sunlit Italian hillside.
These Italian nachos take classic nacho elements and swap in Italian ingredients. Instead of ground beef, there’s hot Italian sausage. Instead of cheddar-based sauce, there’s a smooth mozzarella cheese sauce made with evaporated milk. Instead of jalapeños, fresh tomato and basil brighten the dish. And instead of tortilla chips, I used Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta Chips for extra crunch and flavor.
They’re perfect as a shareable snack or as Super Bowl food for two when you want something unexpected and satisfying.
A smooth, stable cheese sauce is the secret to great nachos — and evaporated milk helps with that. Cheese sauces made with regular milk can separate when reheated, becoming grainy or thin and requiring frantic whisking to bring them back together. Evaporated milk yields a sauce that stays creamy as it cools and reheats, thickening into a pleasant queso rather than a gloppy mess.
Even though these nachos can work as a light dinner, most people will treat them as an appetizer or shareable snack. If you want to make a more balanced meal for two, serve them with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables on the side.
Italian Nachos
2-4 servings
30 minutes
5 minutes
35 minutes
Transport yourself to Italy with Italian Nachos topped with hot sausage, mozzarella nacho cheese sauce, fresh tomatoes, and basil.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound raw hot Italian sausage, casing removed
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 bag Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta Chips
- 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped (roughly 3/4 cup)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Cheese Sauce
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage, onion, and garlic, breaking the sausage into small pieces with a spatula. Cook until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
- While the sausage cooks, make the cheese sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat the evaporated milk until hot but not boiling. Whisk in the shredded mozzarella, cornstarch, and salt until smooth and the cheese is fully melted. If the sauce is too thick, whisk in a little more milk. Keep warm.
- When the sausage and cheese sauce are ready, arrange enough Pasta Chips to cover a large plate. Top with half the sausage mixture, then some warm cheese sauce, tomatoes, and basil. Add another layer of Pasta Chips and repeat. You may not use all the chips or all the cheese sauce. Serve immediately.
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