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No need to stress about what to make for dinner. All you need is 5 ingredients and 15 minutes! Whip up a quick and flavor-packed sausage pesto pasta, filled with delicious italian sausage, sun dried tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella. This easy italian meal is the perfect way to cure the Monday blues. Full of bold, bright flavors, this is a stick to your ribs meal that will get you through a boring weekday.
Sausage Pesto Pasta
I am not going to lie, a big bowl of pasta will always be my weakness! And I could literally eat italian sausage by the boatload. So a giant helping of sausage pasta might actually be my perfect meal.And lucky for me, I can whip up this sausage pesto pasta in just 15 minutes. Start with a large pot of boiling salted water. Pick 1lb of a medium cut pasta, like rigatoni or penne, and cook until al dente, about 8-11 minutes. I used paccheri, which is basically like a giant rigatoni. I like it because any sauce you put on this pasta will coat the inside and outside of the pasta.
While the pasta cooks, brown 1 lb of mild italian sausage in a saute pan. Drain the fat off and set it aside. When the pasta finished cooking, drain it and put it back in the pot. Add the sausage to the pot, along with an 8oz jar of basil pesto, and an 8oz jar of julienned sun dried tomatoes in oil (include the oil). Stir to combine.
Right before serving, toss in 8oz of mozzarella pearls. This lets the cheese warm up without melting completely so the pearls stay in tact. Serve on a large platter or in bowls, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish. And that is it! 15 minutes, 5 ingredients, and you have a delicious, hearty meal!
What To Serve With Sausage Pesto Pasta
This dish is so full of flavor, which actually makes it hard to pair with anything else. So I suggest you keep it simple. Pair this pasta with a simply dressed salad. Try a nice spring mix, a little shaved parmesan, some olive oil and a squeeze of lemon. And you can never go wrong with bread! I would stay away from a garlic bread, since the pesto is already packed full of garlic. A nice toasted ciabatta is the perfect vessel to sop up all of that delicious pesto!
And don’t forget the wine! A nice dry wine always washes down a great pasta. And honestly you can pair a red or a white with this. A good rule of thumb is red with beef, but since the sauce is so herby and bright, a great white works with this dish as well.
Want More Pasta Ideas?
- Garlic Tomato Pasta With Seared Scallops
- Chicken Parmesan Pasta
- Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Tuscan Shrimp Pasta
- Chicken Thighs With Lemon Orzo Pasta
- BLTA Pasta Salad
Sausage Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium cut pasta I used paccheri but penne or rigatoni work great
- 1 lb mild italian sausage
- 8 oz basil pesto
- 8 oz fresh mozzarella pearls
- 8 oz sun dried tomatoes in oil
- grated parmesan for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add in pasta. Cook according to package directions, about 8-11 minutes
- While pasta is cooking, add sausage to a saute pan and cook cook until no longer pink.
- Drain pasta and add back to the pot. Add cooked sausage to the pot, as well as the pesto and sun dried tomatoes (with oil). Mix well.
- Right before serving, mix in the mozzarella pearls so they warm but do not melt completely.
- Sprinkle with parmesan cheese for garnish and serve.
