Tuesday Tastings #6 with Features + Lower Fat Creamy Sausage & Broccoli Pasta

LINK PARTY BELOW RECIPE

Please notice, I didn’t say “low fat”, I said “lower fat”.  Last time I made a lightened up version of something, I got a barrage of emails telling me that it wasn’t low fat!  So I know this is NOT a healthy dish but I have taken great steps to lighten it up.  So, while I love getting your messages, it’s not necessary to tell me the calorie content J But feel free to send me a message about how much you love it!

In the full fat version I would use:  Pork sausage, heavy cream & butter.

In my “lower” fat version I am using: Chicken sausage, fat free half & half & olive oil.

Okay, so that part is out of the way, on to the yumminess!

Oh, one more thing, did I mention, the broccoli in this recipe is from MY garden? Yup, that’s right. I picked it fresh today.  That was the inspiration for this dish.  

For Printable version CLICK HERE

Ingredients:

1 small bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
6 links chicken sausage, casing removed (I used sweet Italian)
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ sweet onion, diced
¼ C white wine
12 oz ziti or gemelli
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
¼ C grated parmesan cheese 

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.

Add broccoli to boiling water and cook 3 minutes.  Using tongs or slotted spoon, remove broccoli from water but keep water on the burner.  Add pasta to boiling water (be sure to salt water liberally, as you always should for cooking pasta).  Strain pasta, reserving ½ C cooking water.  Return pasta back to pot.

In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat, add sausage and cook until browned, stirring as needed to break up sausage.  Add onion and cook until softened, add garlic.  Add broccoli.  Add spices and stir.  Add wine and cook until wine has almost evaporated completely.  Add half & half and reduce heat to medium/low.  Cook 5 minutes.  Add sausage mixture to pasta and heat together over medium/low heat.  If mixture seems too thick, add reserved pasta water a little bit at a time until desired consistency is achieved.

Serve with additional grated cheese if desired.

TUESDAY TASTINGS #6

A great big thanks to all of you who shared something last week.  As usual I have pinned all of the entries on Tuesday Tastings Pinterest Board!  I am really having fun with these link parties.  I would love any feedback you have for me (praise, ways to improve etc.). After all the purpose of these link ups is to gain exposure for ALL of us, right?!

Here are the 3 most popular recipes of last week (most clicked through):

1. Fudgy Chocolate Chip Cake Mix Cookies by Six Sisters Stuff

2. Grilled Summer Veggie Calzone by Frugal Organic Mama

3. Gluten-free Ranch Chicken Nuggets - Kid Approved by Pint-Sized Treasures

Show some love to your fellow bloggers and click through at least one other entry!