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!
How many does this serve? Thanks!
I found this recipe on Pinterest last summer and every time I make it, my husband tells me how this is the best thing he’s ever eaten! I made it last night and deglazed the pan with white cooking wine and then let it reduce way down and it was delicious! Thanks so much for putting this recipe out there!
This was SO good. I have made it several times. I double the brussel sprouts. Thanks!!
Positively delish! :) the Brussels sprouts were sooooo good and the dish has so much flavor with the chicken sausage (I used a spinach mozzarella variety). Also I added 3 sliced up peppers, a red, yellow and orange to up the veggies, which also gave it beautiful addl. color. Thanks! I will definitely be perusing your blog for more great finds! Oh and the deglazing recommendations below, you all have changed my life :) I will become a deglazing loyalist now!
Just cooked this at home and I have to say this is the first time that I have ever liked the taste of brussles sprouts. Thank you for this recipe and in effect allowing me to get more familiar with one more vegetable. As a recent vegetarian convert (I used veggie sausag, the only fake meat I’ve found tolerable so far)any vegetable I can add to my list of things to eat is a good thing.
I have made this recipe several times now and absolutely love it!! My whole family will eat it!! I love roasted brussel sprouts and all of the flavors in this dish go really well together! It is a super easy and quick dinner for us when we are rushing through the week!
Absolutely LOVE this recipe!!! Thanks!
Thank you! I found this on Pinterest a while ago and finally tried it on my roommates tonight. It was a hit! Fed all everyone, was easy enough for my lack of cooking skills, and yet had a wonderful big taste (especially with a hint of hot sauce!)
This was also my first experience roasting vegetables and tasting brussel sprouts. For both, I have been converted.
I never tried Brussels sprouts until today when I made this for lunch. Amazing recipe! It was wonderful! My almost-2-year-old loved it as well. We will look forward to consuming the leftovers over the next few days.
Amazing! Made this tonight for dinner! I took my sausage up of the casing and browned it up. So great!