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Rustic penne with chicken sausage is an easy dinner you can pull together any night of the week!
This past Sunday was one of those days that begged for a quick, hearty dinner.
The air had a chill to it, football was on in the family room and we’d just returned from a weekend in Philadelphia.
Whether I’m at Wegmans, ALDI or another local grocery store, chicken sausage is always available and usually on sale.
I love it because it can sit in my fridge, and with an expiration date over a month out, I don’t have to worry about squeezing it in to the menu right after I buy it.
It’s also perfect for those dinners when you’re in a pinch and need something quick.
In Sunday’s case, I had the chicken sausage in my fridge and the rest of the ingredients were pulled from either the pantry or our garden.
The resulting meal was out of this world, and the leftover penne with chicken sausage worked perfectly for lunch the next day!
Here are some kitchen tools I use to make rustic penne with chicken sausage:
Rustic Penne With Chicken Sausage
Rustic penne with chicken sausage is an easy dinner you can pull together any night of the week!
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 box dried penne
- 1 package fully cooked chicken sausage
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup freshly chopped basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pasta water
Instructions
- Set a large pot of water to boil. Once the pasta water has come to a boil, add the penne and cook until just before al dente, about 9 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and then drain.
- Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken sausage, browning each side for 2 minutes. Remove the sausage to a plate to rest.
- Reduce the heat in the skillet to medium and pour in 2 more tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onions and saute them for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and salt, and continue cooking for 1 minute longer.
- Pour the chicken broth in, bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to let it simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Slice the sausages and add them, along with the marinara and half the basil, to the skillet. Give it a good stir, and then cover the skillet, continuing to let the mixture simmer while the pasta finishes cooking.
- Fold the cooked pasta and the 1/2 cup pasta water into the skillet mixture, making sure the penne is well-coated. Sprinkle the pasta with the remaining basil and serve it hot with shredded mozzarella or parmesan as garnish, and a crusty loaf of bread.
