Sunday, November 4, 2012

Chicken Sausage Penne with Broccoli

Every now and then I do create a recipe from scratch.  This dinner was one of them and it was a success.  TS and I purchased chicken sausage from Sam's the other week which means we have an abundance of chicken sausage and I need to think of creative ways to use it.  Luckily it freezes very well. 

For dinner the other night I made a healthy, quick pasta dish using the chicken sausage.  TS said I could definitely make this dish again.  Which, in TS's language, is it is very good.  If a dish isn't so good, but he liked it, he would say it is a "few times a year meal."  It is funny how you get to know your spouse's language the longer you are with them. 






Here is the recipe for 2 people:

INGREDIENTS
3 links chicken sausage, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
2 cups chopped broccoli, pre-steamed
1/4 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1.25 cups penne pasta
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

RECIPE
1. Cook sliced chicken sausage over medium high heat in a 12in skillet until browned, remove from pan and set aside.
2. While the chicken sausage is cooking, start water for pasta to boil.  Add pasta once boiled and cook for 7 mins. 
3. In the same skillet you cooked the chicken sausage, add olive oil and heat for 1 min. 
4. Slowly add white wine to pan, scraping the bottom of pan to loosen all bits of chicken sausage from bottom of the pan.
5. Cook wine until it boils, then add onion, garlic, broccoli, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until onion begins to soften, about 3-4 mins.
6. Add chicken sausage to pan and toss all together.
7. Drain pasta, once cooked, reserving 1/4 cup water.  Add pasta water and pasta to chicken sausage mixture cook for 2 mins.
8. Add Parmesan cheese to pasta and sausage mixture and toss together and cook for another minute.
9. Serve!

Another healthy meal that takes about half hour.  Perfect for a week night!