20-Minute Pesto Sausage Pasta
This pesto sausage pasta is a fast, cozy weeknight dinner. Italian sausage, basil pesto, and Parmesan get tossed with short pasta and a little reserved pasta water for a silky sauce that coats every bite. It's ready in about 20 minutes and still feels like a proper meal.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 730.1kcal
Ingredients
- 12 ounces short-cut pasta such as rigatoni, penne or fusilli
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage casings removed
- ¾ cup basil pesto
- ½ cup reserved pasta water as needed
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey sausage and cook for 7–8 minutes, breaking it into bite-sized pieces, until browned and cooked through.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the drained pasta, pesto, and Parmesan to the skillet. Toss until everything is evenly coated, adding reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time until the sauce is smooth and clings to the pasta.
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan on top.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 730.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 72.7g | Protein: 32.63g | Fat: 33.53g | Saturated Fat: 8.58g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2.67g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5.87g | Cholesterol: 68.07mg | Sodium: 1883.09mg | Potassium: 418.9mg | Fiber: 4.49g | Sugar: 7.43g | Vitamin A: 1149.55IU | Vitamin C: 34.47mg | Calcium: 190.75mg | Iron: 12.33mg
