Pesto Chicken Sausage Pasta

A quick and flavorful pasta dish featuring savory chicken sausage, vibrant basil pesto, and fresh broccoli florets, creating a complete and balanced meal in minutes.

• Prep: 10 min
• Cook: 15 min
• Total: 25 min
• Servings: 2
• Cuisine: Italian
• Difficulty: Easy
• Cost: $3.56/serving

Dietary

• High-Protein
• High-Fiber
• Egg-Free

Tags

• comfort food
• quick
• sauté
• savory

Ingredients

• 6 ounce rotini pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 ounce cooked chicken sausage (sliced into 1/2-inch rounds)
• 2 cup broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
• 0.25 cup basil pesto
• 0.25 teaspoon kosher salt
• 0.125 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (grated, for serving)

Instructions

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rotini pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes. During the last 3 minutes of cooking, add the broccoli florets to the pasta water.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cooked chicken sausage rounds and sauté for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned.
3. Drain the pasta and broccoli, reserving 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the drained pasta and broccoli to the skillet with the chicken sausage.
4. Stir in the basil pesto, kosher salt, and black pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency.
5. Toss everything together until well combined and heated through. Serve immediately, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

Leftovers store well in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Use any preferred shape of pasta like penne or campanelle.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 615
• Protein: 32.5 g
• Carbohydrates: 65.2 g
• Fat: 26.8 g
• Fiber: 8.1 g
• Sodium: 890 mg
• Saturated Fat: 6.1 g
• Sugar: 5.4 g
• Cholesterol: 60 mg