Sausage Penne Skillet Dinner
Ingredients
- 1 lb. Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or hot)
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced end to end
- 1 red or yellow pepper, chopped
- 8 oz. penne or other shaped pasta
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ t. red pepper flakes
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- Small bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- Several leaves fresh basil, sliced in thin slivers
- 1 T. balsamic vinegar
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Directions
In a large skillet or wok, brown and crumble sausage. Remove and drain on paper towel. Drain off excess grease from skillet. Sauté onion and pepper together in skillet until softened. Add uncooked pasta to skillet with pepper and onion. Toast pasta, stirring frequently, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes. Cook briefly, stirring frequently. Stir wine, broth, and half-and-half or cream into skillet. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer 6-8 minutes, depending on size/density of pasta, stirring occasionally. Arrange broccoli on top of pasta, cover, and continue to cook until broccoli is bright green and tender and pasta is al dente, another 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in sausage, cheese and basil. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over pasta. Stir gently. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, after spooning pasta onto plates.
Cook's Notes
“This quick, easy, yummy dish is a frequent go-to. I love the idea of toasting the pasta and everything in one pan. I use a wok because I like the higher side it has. I use hot Italian sausage, a couple of colored peppers (green loses color), mini penne, and a good sized dollop of really good balsamic.”
Sheila Reed, Bremen, Ind.
