Pasta With Sausage & Olives
Submitted by lexcray
A quick weeknight pasta with turkey sausage, briny black olives, garlic and tomatoes, with a kick of red pepper. Tossed with a splash of pasta water so the sauce clings to every strand.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis is a 40-minute pasta that punches well above its effort. Crumbled turkey sausage browns up savory and lean, then joins a quick sauce of garlic, plum tomatoes, briny black olives, and a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little heat.
The trick that makes it taste restaurant-good is the pasta water. Reserve a cup before you drain, then toss it into the sauce as you combine, because that starchy liquid loosens the sauce and helps it cling to every strand instead of sliding off into a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
Brown the sausage properly for the deepest flavor, fry the garlic just to golden rather than brown and bitter, and let the sauce simmer only long enough to thicken.
A handful of parsley and a shower of Parmesan, and dinner’s done.
Kitchen Tips
- Reserve a cup of pasta water before draining. A splash loosens the sauce and helps it coat the pasta.
- Brown the sausage well and drain it, so the dish tastes savory rather than greasy.
- Fry the garlic just to golden. Let it go brown and it turns bitter.
- Toss the pasta and sauce together over heat for a minute so they marry.
Variations
- Use Italian pork sausage, hot or sweet, in place of turkey.
- Stir in capers, spinach, or a handful of cherry tomatoes.
- Bump up the red pepper flakes for a spicier, arrabbiata-style kick.
Ingredients
Directions
Crumble the sausage into a lightly oiled skillet.
Place over medium heat and sauté, stirring often to break up the meat, until the sausage is cooked through.
Drain and cool the meat.
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Add the garlic and fry until golden brown.
Add the tomatoes, olives and crushed red pepper.
Return the sausage to the skillet and add salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Before draining, reserve one cup of the pasta cooking liquid.
Drain the pasta and return it to the pot over low heat.
Add the sauce. If the sauce is too thick to evenly coat the pasta, add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid.
Stir in the parsley. Divide the pasta among serving plates.
Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
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