This veggie-packed pasta gets its flavor from a light lemon butter sauce, sliced garlic, and fresh herbs. A splash of white wine and stock also help the cause, as do flavorful slices of chicken Italian sausage. The veggies I like to combine in this simple sauce are artichoke hearts, wilted watercress or spinach, and sauteed leeks. Any pasta shape you have on hand would work fine with this brightly flavored pasta dish, but I love it with spaghetti rigati—spaghetti noodles made with ridges so that whatever sauce you pair with the cooked pasta, whether heavy or light, will capture the sauce in each and every bite.
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Lemony Pasta with Chicken Sausage, Artichoke Hearts & Leeks
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. Italian chicken sausage links
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil plus 1 teaspoon, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 large leeks, stem end and dark green ends removed, white and light green section thinly sliced into half moons (rinse and dry well)
- 9-oz. box frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 cups dry white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken stock, low or no-sodium
- salt and pepper
- 3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 4 cups watercress or baby spinach leaves
- 1 lb. spaghetti rigati, cooked to al dente, drained
- Pecorino Romano cheese, for grating
Directions:
- In a large straight sided saute pan, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage links for approximately 10 minutes, or until cooked through and browned. Set aside, allow to cool, then slice into 1/2-inch rounds.
- In the same pan, melt the butter with the remaining 1 Tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add in the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sliced leeks, and artichoke hearts. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and a big grinding of black pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until the leeks begin to soften. Add in the lemon juice and white wine; reduce the heat to medium-low; cook an additional 10-12 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half. Add in the stock, watercress/spinach, and parsley; add the sausage back into the pan as well. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until everything is incorporated and the greens have wilted.
- Toss the mixture together with the cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with as much grated cheese as you like.
Tagged: artichoke hearts, butter, chicken Italian sausage, chicken sausage, chicken stock, fresh herbs, fresh parsley, frozen artichoke hearts, garlic, Italian sausage, leeks, lemon juice, olive oil, pasta, pasta with artichoke hearts and leeks, pecorino cheese, spaghetti, spaghetti rigati, spinach, watercress, white wine
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