Description
If you’re looking for a hearty vegetarian dinner that also has a fresh summer taste, this Crispy Sausage Pesto Pasta with Veggies is it! Plant based sausage is sliced thinly and then crisped up in a frying pan. The pasta is tossed with fresh pesto sauce and any vegetables you have on hand will perfect! Enjoy this healthy and filling vegetarian dinner on a busy weeknight when you want something delicious but don’t have a lot of time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb your favorite bite sized pasta, I used rotini
- 2–3 vegetarian sausage links, depending on how big they are
- 5–6 cups diced vegetables, I used a mixture of zucchini, red bell pepper, frozen peas and red onion
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups pesto sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or more if desired
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or more if desired
- 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- Fresh herbs for garnish, if desired
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of water until boiling. Add in your pasta and cook according to package directions. Before draining, I like to reserve a little of the hot pasta water in case the pesto sauce needs to be thinned out. When pasta is finished cooking, drain and add back to the pot.
- I like to cook my pasta at the same time I’m cooking the sausage and veggies. If the pasta gets done first, add back to the pot and mix the pesto sauce in right away to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
- Remove the sausage from the casing, if needed, and slice into thin slices, about 1/4 of an inch thick. Heat a large pan over medium heat and add 2 teaspoons olive oil. Once pan is hot, add in the sliced sausage and cook until slices are browned and a little bit crispy, 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove sausage from the pan and set aside.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons olive oil back to the pan and then add in your diced vegetables, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix together and cook veggies until softened and all the water has cooked out, about 5-7 minutes. I like mine to be a little bit browned.
- To the cooked pasta, add in the pesto sauce (if you haven’t already done so) and mix together well. Thin sauce out with pasta water, if needed. Next, add in the crispy sausage and cooked vegetables. Mix everything together until completely combined and season with extra salt and black pepper, to taste. Garnish pasta with fresh herbs and enjoy!
Notes
Let me know if you have questions about what kind of vegetables to use!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegetarian
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
