One Pot Sausage, Sun-dried Tomato & Broccoli Garlic Pasta
The perfect one-pot meal when you're looking to clear your pantry. Creamy pasta with garlic, bright broccoli, pleasantly concentrated sun-dried tomatoes, and hearty Italian sausage. Easy cleanup, and it has everything you need in a meal: meat, carbs, dairy, and veggies. I think that's a balanced meal waiting to be served at your dinner table!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 12 oz sweet Italian sausage
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- ¾ lb frozen broccoli florets about 1 3/4 cups
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced into strips
- 16 oz farfalle or another pasta shape
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- Crushed red pepper flakes if desired
- ½ cup half & half
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and cook the sausage until browned on the outside, about 3-5 minutes Remove from the skillet to a cutting board and slice into medallions (about ½ inch thick), and return to skillet. Season the sausage with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to a plate and set aside.
- Drain all of the fat remaining but 1 tbsp. Add garlic and broccoli. Saute over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until the broccoli is bright green heated through. Cover with a lid, if needed to defrost the broccoli faster. Stir occasionally to prevent the garlic from burning. Season with salt. Transfer broccoli to the plate with sausage.
- Add the chicken broth to the skillet and stir, scraping up browned bits. Add sundried tomatoes and pasta to the skillet. Turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Add Italian seasoning. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or more, if desired. Pour in the half & half. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, stir, then turn the heat down to low to maintain a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until pasta is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Add back the sausage & broccoli. Stir in parmesan cheese.
Notes
Storage: Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. I don't recommend freezing this.
Tips for the Perfect One-Pot Pasta: Making a one-pot pasta is a little tricky. There's much to consider for the water-to-pasta ratio, whether the pan heats evenly, etc. You'll need a thick-bottomed pot or skillet (such as a Dutch oven) so it heats evenly.
- The amount of water or broth you will need varies on the size and shape of the pasta that you use. This recipe is made with times revolving around bowtie pasta. As you near the end of the cooking time, take note of the amount of liquid in the bottom of the skillet. If there is still a lot of liquid, let it simmer for the last 2-3 minutes without the lid to allow for evaporation (don’t drain it). If the liquid all gets absorbed before the pasta is tender, simply add a little water or broth.
- Make sure the heat under the skillet is set to the lowest temperature that maintains a steady simmer in the broth. If it stops simmering, it will not cook the pasta. If it boils or simmers too hard the whole time, it can dry up, and the bottom can scorch. Adjust, set a timer if you need to, and take a look. It'll get easier to tell with time, much like riding a bike or learning how to swim.
- Switch out the frozen broccoli for fresh broccoli. Just keep in mind how long you will need to cook it. As it simmers in the chicken broth, it'll become tender.
- Change the pasta shape to penne, rigatoni, or rotini. Adjust the cooking time and liquid for each shape; some cook longer than others.
- Add in shredded rotisserie chicken or sliced steak. You can even add sautéed garlic butter shrimp.
- Swap the sun-dried tomatoes with roasted tomatoes.