Packed with an array of fresh veggies, this recipe is a big favorite with family and friends alike. You can substitute in sweet turkey sausage or leave out the sausage all together if you prefer. It takes a little while to chop up all the fresh veggies, but it’s worth the effort. Serve with a fresh green salad.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 pints Santa sweets baby tomatoes – cut into 2 or 3 slices each
- 5 oz shiitake or portobello mushrooms sliced
- ½ red sweet onion sliced thin
- 5 links of sweet Italian pork or turkey sausage, casing removed, sliced or broken into small pieces
- 6 oz chicken or veggie broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup grated parmesan
- 3-4 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped
- ½ cup fresh basil torn in pieces
- 12 oz box penne
- Salt and pepper
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
- Olive oil – approx. 1/4 cup used a tablespoon at a time
DIRECTIONS:
- Remove sausage casings, crumble it into small pieces and cook in a large saute pan with olive oil until done. Remove from heat.
- Toast pine nuts with a little salt in a small skillet with olive oil until lightly browned. Remove from heat.
- In the same large sauté pan, lightly sauté garlic and onions in a little olive oil until soft.
- Add in mushrooms and cook for 2-3 mins, adding more olive oil if needed.
- Remove mushrooms and onions from the sauce pan and set to the side.
- Add sliced up Santa sweet tomatoes and salt and pepper to the large pan and cook for two minutes. Add in chicken broth and let tomatoes and broth simmer for a minute. Stir in the parmesan cheese.
- Bring a pot of water with olive oil and salt in it to boil. Cook the pasta.
- Add mushrooms, onions, chopped spinach, sausage if including and fresh basil to the tomato, parmesan and broth mixture. Let the sauce simmer while pasta cooks
- Scoop penne onto plates and add pasta sauce.
- Sprinkle toasted pine nuts on top and serve.