Creamy Chicken Sausage and Asparagus Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces farfalle pasta
- 6 ounces goat cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 apple chicken sausage links, cut ¼-inch thick on the bias
- 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup English peas
- 1 tablespoon, torn basil leaves, or to taste
Directions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente, 9 to 12 minutes. Reserve ⅓ cup of the pasta-cooking water. Drain the pasta.
- While the pasta boils, put the goat cheese, ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
- Pour the reserved water over goat cheese mixture and beat with a whisk until smooth.
- Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook the shallot and garlic in hot oil until just beginning to soften, about 30 seconds; add the sausage and asparagus and continue cooking until the sausage is browned and the asparagus is crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir the pasta, peas, and goat cheese sauce with the asparagus mixture and toss to combine; divide between four bowls and garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese to serve.
Pasta cooking water is the key to silky, luxurious pasta sauces. The starch in the water helps it thicken and create a sauce that will cling to pasta. To get the effect of restaurant-quality sauces, undercook the pasta by about a minute, then cook the entire pasta, sausage and sauce mixture for 1 minute in the skillet to really coat the pasta and meld flavors.
Reviews
What others are saying
Melissa Hunter says:
I used ground chicken instead of chicken sausage, it was really yummy. I also added red pepper flakes for a little spice.
Alexis Pearson says:
This is a great spring pasta! I used linguine noodles instead of bowtie, and skipped the peas. This was so easy, it's perfect for weeknights. Next time I may try spiralized zucchini to cut down on carbs.
Sam Dalton says:
We made this recipe and it was so quick! Some nights when we have no idea what we are going to cook for dinner, we make this. It's filling and delicious. I can also sneak peas into my sons dinner without him noticing.
Tarragon Boi says:
My wife hates peas, so I left them out of this recipe and added another two stalks of chopped asparagus. I didn't miss the peas, and this recipe was really good and easy. The chicken sausage was a really nice touch. Next time, I'm going to try it with an Italian sausage.
Steve Failows says:
I love goat cheese and asparagus, so this one was a no-brainer. I never used to keep my pasta water to add back into the sauce later, it's a game changer that definitely leveled up my pasta game.