Spicy Sausage Pasta

Sometimes you come across a recipe that you are immediately skeptical of. Whether it’s through the list of ingredients, or the steps of preparation, something seems off. When I came across this spicy pasta recipe, originally from America’s Test Kitchen, I wondered how all this was going to work in one pot. It doesn’t just work in one pot, it is an absolute triumph in one pot. You start off cooking down some onions and sliced sausage until they are browned. Basic enough, it was the next step that through me for a loop. Add your pasta, tomatoes, green chilies, chicken stock and heavy cream and cover it. I hadn’t considered using chicken stock and cream as a means of cooking pasta and creating a sauce. How wrong my skepticisms proved to be! Topped off with some Monterey Jack cheese and chives, and you are left with a totally delicious and cohesive pasta dish in one pot!

Prep time 10 minutes

Cook time 20 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 lb smoked sausage

1.5 cups diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 10 oz can of rotel (tomatoes and green chilies)

2 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 oz campanelle pasta

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

1 cup Monterey jack cheese

1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Optional 1/4 cup of diced jalapeños for some extra kick!

Procedure

Step 1 Heat an skillet over medium high heat. (Make sure your using a skillet that has a lid for when we cover). Add your Tbsp. of olive oil. Then add in your diced onions and your sliced sausage. Cook for about 6 minutes, or until you’ve achieved a nice browned color on the sausage. Add in the minced garlic for the last minute of cooking until fragrant.

Step 2 Add the tomatoes, broth, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and the optional jalapeños. You then bring it to a boil and over it, reducing heat down to medium-low. Let this cook down for 15 mins until the pasta has become tender.

Step 3 Take the skillet off the heat and stir in half of your cheese. Top it with the remaining cheese and place the skillet into your oven on broil. Broil for only a few minutes until the cheese is melted, checking often. Take it out of the oven to cool for 3 minutes, topped with sliced scallions and serve!

Dig in!

*Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen Simple Recipes Cookbook.

Spicy Sausage Pasta