Italian Sausage & Roasted Grape Tomato Pasta
One pot dishes are awesome, especially during the week when your pressed for time. This pasta dish is full of fresh veggies, Italian sausage and topped with fresh basil. The roasted grape tomatoes are fantastic with just a touch of char to them.
You can use any veggies you like, I'm using onion, garlic, asparagus, mushrooms and grape tomatoes.
Start with roasting the grape tomatoes, you can use cherry tomatoes too. Drizzle them with olive oil, a sprinkle of Super Tuscan Blend and a pinch of salt. Roast in a 400 degree(f) oven for about 20 minutes.
While the tomatoes are roasting, we can start on the pasta. I like to use mild or sweet Italian sausage links and cut them into small discs with kitchen shears. Drop them into a screaming hot pan with a touch of oil.
Once sausage is browned, remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. It doesn't need to be completely cooked through at this point since it will be added back in later.
Toss onions and asparagus into the hot pan and saute until the onions become translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add mushrooms and garlic to the mix and continue to saute on medium heat.
Add about a tablespoon of Super Tuscan Blend in.
And about 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
And 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
Incorporate the tomato paste well so it coats the vegetables.
Deglaze the pan with about 1/2 cup of red wine, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
And add 1 cup of chicken stock.
Add the sausage back in, lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add your pasta. I like to use mezze penne, which is small penne noodles, which are grooved and have a hollow center, all great for holding onto to that delicious sauce!
Be sure to always generously salt your pasta water, nobody likes bland pasta!
YUM, the tomatoes are done. I gave them a toss about halfway through roasting time. These are so great for a variety of dishes and add such a fantastic flavor.
Add the tomatoes into the sausage and veggies.
Give the tomatoes a little smash with the back of the spoon to get those juices incorporated into the sauce.
Sprinkle in a little Italian blend shredded cheese.
Once the pasta is al dente, using a slotted spoon, scoop it straight into the pan. Instead of straining it, this way it gets some of the pasta water into the sauce which adds flavor and slightly thickens it. Another reason we salt the water!
Time to add more cheese! I added about 1/2 cup, but you can add as much as you want!
Top with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil. The sauce is light, the tomatoes are bright and the asparagus still has a slight crunch to it. De-lish!
RECIPE
ITALIAN SAUSAGE & ROASTED GRAPE TOMATO PASTA
| Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 4 |
Ingredients:
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links
- 1 package grape tomatoes
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
- 1/2 cup cremini mushrooms, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 pound mezze penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon SplenDishes Super Tuscan Blend
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup shredded Italian blend cheese
- fresh Parmesan cheese and basil for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees(f). Place tomatoes on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Super Tuscan and a pinch of salt. Roast for about 20 minutes, tossing in between.
Using kitchen shears, cut sausages into small discs and drop into hot saute pan. Brown and remove from pan.
Add onions and asparagus and saute until onions become translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add garlic and mushrooms and continue to saute on medium heat.
Stir in Super Tuscan Blend and salt. Add tomato paste and incorporate into vegetables.
Add red wine, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Add chicken stock and sausage back in, lower heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, add pasta and a pinch of salt.
Add tomatoes into pan, smashing them with the back of the spoon. Stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheese.
Garnish with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Leave a comment
Comments will be approved before showing up.
