Creamy Gemelli Pasta with Sausage and Asparagus
A delightful creamy pasta dish featuring gemelli, sausage, and asparagus.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 12 ounces gemelli or other tube-shaped pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 0.75 pound Italian sausage (or chicken sausage)
- 0.5 cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 0.75 pound asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into thirds
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 0.5 cup dry white wine No alcoholic drinks allowed, please substitute with a non-alcoholic option.
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
- to taste fresh black pepper
- 0.5 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- to serve grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the gemelli pasta according to package instructions, but stop 1-2 minutes before it's fully cooked. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet (12 or 13 inches), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it up as it cooks. Once browned and cooked through, add the diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the asparagus to the skillet and mix well with the sausage. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the asparagus turns bright green.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mixture in the skillet and stir to combine.
- Pour in the non-alcoholic wine substitute and let it reduce for 2-3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the skillet to incorporate any browned bits.
- Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes to thicken, then stir in the heavy cream.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the cooked pasta, stirring to combine everything. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until heated through.
- Serve immediately in bowls, garnished with grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of fresh black pepper if desired.
Notes
For a lighter version, you can use half-and-half instead of heavy cream. Feel free to add other vegetables like spinach or bell peppers for extra flavor and nutrition.