Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage & Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Author: 
Recipe type: Main Dish
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb fresh or frozen brussels sprouts, ends trimmed then sliced in half
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • 1 lb orecchiette pasta
  • 4 chicken sausage links (I used spicy Italian), sliced into ½″ thick slices
  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
  • ⅓ cup pesto
  • Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
  1. 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.
  2. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or 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. (Tiny sprouts will take about half the time to cook) Remove from oven and set aside.
  3. 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.
  4. *Add a small splash of water to the pan if your garlic slices start to stick to the bottom. The water will de-glaze the pan and bring up all the delicious flavor of the cooked sausage as well as loosening the garlic slices so they don’t burn.
  5. Cook the pasta 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 ¼ 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.
  6. Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.
Recipe by Daily Rebecca at https://www.dailyrebecca.com/2012/09/pesto-pasta-with-chicken-sausage-roasted-brussel-sprouts/