CanadaDinner
Pesto Pasta with Sausage & Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Active Time: 15 minutes • Total Time: 45 minutes
Yields: 6 Serves
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh Earthbound Farm Organic Brussels Sprouts, halved
- 3 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 lb orecchiette
- 4 chicken sausage links, sliced into 1/4″ thick coins
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup of your favorite pesto
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Orecchiette pasta (“little ears”) are like little scoops that catch all the delicious flavors of this simple weeknight dish. Be sure to get a good roast on those Brussels sprouts — it brings out the sweetness, which provides a great complement to the rich flavors of the sausage and Parmesan.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together halved brussels sprouts, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir until well-combined. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spread the brussels sprouts on it evenly. Roast for about 20-30 minutes, stirring once partway through, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until nearly-browned, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is browned.
Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until al dente according to the package directions. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve ¼ c pasta water, strain the pasta. Return the pasta to the pot and turn the burner on low, add the pesto, cooked sausage and garlic, and brussels sprouts together and mix together. Slowly add in some of the reserved pasta water until pesto has coated the pasta.
Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.
