Did you make anything special for dinner on New Year’s Eve? After a line-up of options, my friends and I decided on this dish before the nights’ events. The green part of this recipe is what won my vote. Yes “the green part”. Recently I have become obsessed with brussels sprouts. Maybe it’s because I haven’t had them much in my life, or really at all until recently. Guess I have my overly picky child-self to blame for that. How many other things have I been missing out on all these years?

Anyway, this pasta dish is fairly simple yet incredibly tasty and I already want to make it again. It is automatically being placed into my regular rotation of meals, which is a rare event since I am almost always cooking up something new. There are too many amazing recipes out there to try and as a result my “regular dish rotation” list is pretty short. But I digress… make this and you won’t regret it!

One year ago: Homemade Vanilla Extract

PESTO PASTA WITH CHICKEN SAUSAGE & ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and any yellowed/browned outer leaves removed, then sliced in half

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

1 lb (16 oz.) pasta (used gluten-free shells)

4 chicken sausage links (used roasted red pepper & asiago), sliced into 1/4″ thick coins

5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1/3 cup pesto

Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix together brussels sprouts, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir until well-combined.
2. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spread the brussels sprouts on it evenly.  Roast for about 20-30 minutes, stirring once partway through, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside. Remove from oven and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until nearly-browned, about 6-8 minutes.  Add the garlic, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is browned.
4. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  (I begin heating my water while preparing the brussels sprouts, and added the pasta to the boiling water just after beginning to cook the sausage.)  Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water (reserving 1/4 cup pasta water), and then toss together the pasta, pesto, cooked sausage and garlic, and brussels sprouts.  Add in some of the reserved pasta water if needed for extra moisture.
5. Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Source: Gimme Some Oven