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!
This was sooo good. Just made it for dinner and it was a huge success everyone loved it! Thank you.
Can you help me with the pesto? Where do you get that?
this recipe was delicious and simple. I don’t eat meat so I substituted a vegan soy sausage, turned out great. thanks for sharing.
This is Delicious! You will want to deglaze all the specialness in the bottom of the pan. I can’t wait to invite family and friends to enjoy this simple but tasty dinner. Thank you for sharing!
The first time we tried this recipe we had an unexpected but pleasant guest, my daughter’s neighborhood friend, who happens to be a very picky eater. If its any testament to this recipe she devoured her first plate and asked for seconds, a first for her at our house. I used tortellini and added a few sun-dried tomatoes, as suggested in previous comments. It officially has made it into regular rotation of go-to meals. Thanks!!
This looks delicious! I will never understand why people are so afraid of brussels sprouts. They are one of my favorite veggies! I can’t wait to make this, I may add lemon zest or sundried tomatoes or both! Thanks for the great recipe!
I just made this for dinner tonight for a second time. This recipe is amazing! The combination of ingredients seems odd at first but it is SO good. I followed the suggestion in one of the previous comments and added sundried tomatoes both times I’ve made it. They add a really nice flavor. Thanks so much – this is definitely in my regular dinner rotation!
OMG this was so good! My husband and his friend both LOVED it. It was also easy to prep, you could even cook the sausage ahead of time and just reheat it real quick in the pan. Will be making this again real soon!!!
This was wonderful… Easy, flavorful, and a crowd pleaser. We used cheese tortellini, and it was a very hearty meal. Thanks so much for sharing!
This was good and so flipping easy! Perfect recipe for a lazy-I-don’t-really-wanna-cook weeknight dinner. It’d be perfect as-is but I deglazed the pan with some white wine and threw some sun-dried tomatoes in (because I had the stuff and why not). Will add this to my normal rotation.
I love this dish and make it multiple times every month. I add sun dried tomatoes and it kicks it up a bit!