Description
A quick and flavorful sausage and pea pasta recipe featuring tender orecchiette pasta combined with sautéed sweet Italian sausage, sweet peas, and a creamy tomato sauce, perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 1 pound dry orecchiette pasta (or short pasta of your choice)
Sauce and Sausage Mixture
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- â…› teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup frozen sweet baby peas, thawed
- â…“ cup heavy cream
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside.
- Brown Sausage and Sauté Vegetables: While the pasta cooks, heat extra virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the finely diced sweet onion and the Italian sausage (casings removed). Break the sausage into small pieces using a wooden spoon and sauté until the sausage is no longer pink and the onions have softened, approximately 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant. Drain off any excess fat from the skillet. Season the mixture with dried oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
- Simmer Sauce: Stir in the canned diced tomatoes with their liquid and the low-sodium chicken broth into the skillet. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly and meld flavors.
- Add Peas and Cream: Add the thawed sweet baby peas and pour in the heavy cream. Stir the mixture well and warm through gently to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
- Combine and Serve: Add the drained pasta back into the pot or skillet. Toss well to combine the pasta with the sausage and creamy tomato-pea sauce. Serve immediately in shallow bowls with a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top.
Notes
- Use short pasta like orecchiette to hold the sauce well, but any short pasta such as penne or rigatoni works.
- For a spicier version, increase the crushed red pepper flakes to taste.
- Make sure to drain excess fat after browning the sausage to avoid a greasy sauce.
- Thaw the peas beforehand to avoid adding excess water to the sauce.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
