So, I’m pretty sure Trader Joe’s now carries about 43 varieties of chicken sausage. Ok, maybe just 10. But still — SO MUCH CHICKEN SAUSAGE!!!
Today felt like a good day to be a part of the fad, so I brought home some of their spicy Italian (I know – the least creative) variety and a batch of adorable little brussels sprouts to make some pasta. Between the two of those ingredients cooking, the house already smelled amazing. But then add in some garlic and fresh pesto, and then top the warm pasta with Parmesan cheese….and holy cow. This impromptu little recipe is definitely going down in the books. Easy, and très-delish!!
I’m already looking forward to the leftovers. :)
How To Cut Brussels Sprouts | 1-Minute Video
Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage & Roasted Brussels Sprouts
This pesto pasta with chicken sausage and roasted brussels sprouts is a hearty and delicious meal, made healthier with (lighter) chicken sausage and lots of brussels sprouts.
Ingredients
- 1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and any yellowed/browned outer leaves removed, then sliced in half
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
- 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 lb (16 oz.) orecchiette (or any pasta)
- 4 chicken sausage links (I used spicy Italian), sliced into 1/4″ thick coins
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup pesto
- Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together 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. (My batch of tiny sprouts only took about 12 minutes to cook.) Remove from oven and set aside.
- 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 generously-salted boiling water until al dente according to the package directions. (I begin heating my water while preparing the brussel sprouts, and added the pasta to the boiling water just after beginning to cook the sausage.) Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water (reserving 1/4 cup pasta water), and then toss together the pasta, pesto, cooked sausage and garlic, and brussels sprouts. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if needed for extra moisture.
- Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
This would be even better sprinkled with some toasted pine nuts!
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Great recipe! Made this tonight and it was great! I was out of parmesan cheese so I added a little melted mozzarella on top – SO good!
This is an amazingly delicious recipe. The flavors blend perfectly and my family loved it. I used about 1/2 of a container of prepared pesto & deglazed the pan with white wine to get all those little bits of goodness on the bottom. The leftovers were fantastic too – I will be making this amazing meal regularly. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
What can you use instead of pesto? Im not a big fan of pesto but this looks awesome!
I just made this for dinner and it was excellent! I forgot to save pasta water so I used a couple splashes of heavy cream instead. I love healthy pasta’s like this, they are so easy to make and make me justify eating dessert afterwards. :)
Wow, I can tell just from reading this recipe what an explosion of amazing flavors it is–but still simple enough for a weeknight. My idea of heaven. :)
We’re celebrating our favorite holiday recipes on the Shine Supper Club this month. Something like this would be a perfect example of an easy weeknight December dinner. I hope you’ll contribute this recipe (or another one!).
Just made this tonight for the first time, it was so delicious! Will definitely be making it again!
I made a few modifications to this for personal preference and loved it! posted on my blog with a link back here. Thanks for a great recipe! I love anything with brussels sprouts!
This was the first recipe that came up when I googled sausage and brussels sprouts. I had all the ingredients on hand, including pine nuts, so gave it a try. Superb! I added red pepper strips when roasting the sprouts, and deglazed the pan with red wine after cooking the sausage (pork, not chicken in my case). I used whole wheat ziti for the pasta. This is the kind of recipe that lends itself to flexibility, and it’s a great seasonal autumn dish. Thanks!
I made this last night and it was so yummy! The only thing (and it could be because I’m not used to making sausage), but I’d suggest cutting the chicken sausage first, then cooking. Also, I’d blanche the brussels sprouts before roasting in the oven. That way you can get the brown you’re looking for. Otherwise, delicious!
I have made this several times and absolutely love it!