This is definitely my favorite go-to dish because it’s pretty easy to make and it was the first recipe I ever got comfortable with. It’s such a great feeling when you are in the kitchen and can just grab ingredients ‘a little bit here, a dash of that’ and it turns out well! That’s what makes cooking so much fun, even if it doesn’t always turn out. It’s a big experiment! Go ahead and try it with different types of sausage (lower fat of course) and pasta to make it your own. I have made it for several family and friends, who always request me to make it, and it’s great for a casual yet elegant dinner party. It always seems to disappear too fast! This dish is great for leftovers, and I am all about the leftovers! They can be a great way to stretch food dollars.
Broccoli Sausage Pasta
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
- Freshly ground pepper or Mrs. Dash seasoning
- 2-3 heads broccoli, trimmed and washed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 5 links turkey or chicken sausage (lower fat), casing removed
- 1 1/2 cups canned low-sodium chicken broth whisked with 1 1/2 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 12 oz of your favorite pasta, such as campanelle or farfalle
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan/Romano cheese, plus more for sprinkling
Directions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallots; cook until just golden. Add sausage; sauté, breaking up with the back of a spoon, until cooked through and forms crumbly bits on the bottom of the pan. Add broth mixture and scrape bits off bottom of pan. Cook until heated through, thickened and reduced down a bit, about 10-12 minutes.
- While that is reducing, add pasta to large pot of boiling water; cook according to package directions until al dente. Add broccoli florets, in the last 3-4 minutes of cooking. Drain together.
- Add pasta and broccoli to skillet or large pot; toss everything to combine. Season with black pepper and/or Mrs. Dash, and crushed red pepper. Sprinkle with cheese; toss to combine and serve!
You can increase the amount of veggies by sautéing mushrooms and zucchini with the sausage too. I also recommend serving it with a nice piece of crusty bread and a fruity balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Yum!
