Delicate asparagus and strong savoury sausage is a perfect match. I recommend using Italian sausage but you may substitute it with turkey sausage ( I know, not the same thing). The dish is creamy without adding any cream. Yummy and healthy!
prep time 10 min cook time 25 min
ingredients for 4
- 400 g penne rigate (or rigatoni, farfalle, fusilli, tortiglioni)
- 500 g asparagus
- 300 g sausage, casing removed and crumbled
- 1 small onion, diced
- half a glass of white wine
- 3-4 basil leaves
- extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
1. Separate the top part (head) of the asparagus from the stem (approximately 5 cm or 2 inches) and chop the stems discarding the hard white ends.
- 2. Heat a few Tbls of oil in a large pan and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the crumbled sausage to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Add the wine and cook for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon.
3. Add the asparagus heads to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Remove.
- 4. Add a little bit of oil and pour the chopped asparagus stems to the pan. Add a glass of boiling water and cook the asparagus for 10 minutes. In the meantime start cooking your pasta.
- 5. Blend the cooked asparagus until creamy adding a dash of salt and pepper, 1-2 Tbls of oil and the basil leaves.
- 6. Tip the sausages and asparagus heads, setting aside 8-10 of them, in the pan, add the cooked pasta al dente, swirl and add the cream little by little at the end. I added it carefully to the plate. Otherwise it becomes all mixed and mushy.
- 7. Plate and place 2-3 heads on top.
- BUON APPETITO!