Chicken Sausage Rotini Supremi
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe was created when I discovered a new type of sausage in my supermarket. This is what I like to call a "pantry meal". I often look through my fridge and pantry to find inspiration and see what I come up with. Some of my favorite recipes are created this way. This is how my grandmother often cooked, which inspired my blog, www.myitaliangrandmother.com.
With a pound of chicken sausage, some vegetables and pasta a fabulous meal was created. I love the versatility of this dish; substitute the pasta and serve it over brown rice, swap out the mushrooms and replace with zucchini. Let your taste buds guide you. The more often you cook, the easier it will become. There is no wrong way to make a pantry meal.
Submitted by: "Michele Brigante"
Ingredients You'll Need
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 lb garlic and cheese chicken sausage links, removed from casings
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp of dried oregano
crushed red pepper, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup yellow grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 - 2 cups chicken stock
3/4 pound of rotini pasta
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup grated romano cheese, plus more for passing
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Directions
Bring a pot of boiling salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile heat a large skillet over medium heat and drizzle with oil.
Add the sausage to the pan breaking it up with a wooden spoon or potato masher to create sausage crumbles.
When the sausage is browned and cooked through push the sausage to the sides of the pan and add the onion and pepper.
When the onion and pepper have softened push aside with the sausage and add the mushrooms and garlic into the center of the pan. Don't touch the mushrooms for a little while so they get some color. When they start to brown, stir the garlic and mushrooms with the sausage, peppers and onion.
Add oregano, salt, black and crushed red pepper. Stir.
Add grape tomatoes and tomato paste to the skillet and stir to break down the tomato paste and combine with sausage mixture.
Add about 3/4 - 1 cup chicken stock and stir. Cover and leave it alone for a few minutes so the tomatoes burst open. Sometimes you can hear them pop. You can also help them along if you don't want to wait and just press down on the tomatoes with your spoon. Stir. You can add more stock if you want it looser or add pasta water.
By now the water should be boiling. Throw the pasta in and cook until al dente, reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water and then drain.
Add some of the pasta water to the skillet until it's the consistency you like. Then add the pasta and toss.
Add the butter, cheese and parsley and toss together.
Serve with grated cheese for sprinkling on top