Spicy Sausage Pasta - A Personal Favorite

Spicy, cheesy goodness! 

So a long time ago (maybe like a year?) I came across this recipe from Kevin & Amanda and pinned it on Pinterest. When Jess and I first moved in together I would occasionally ask his input for meal planning, etc. By the way, I plan EVERYTHING. I have a monthly calendar and have meals planned at least 2 weeks out, sometimes more AND grocery lists by week. I grocery shop on Sunday mornings, religiously. Hahaha, pun intended.

Anyway, getting Jess's opinion normally turned into me doing the whole eye doctor questionaire thing: Recipe A or Recipe B? Recipe A or Recipe C? Well after a few months of him shooting down this spicy sausage pasta (he said the ingredients didn't sound like they "went together," shows what he knows...) I decided to stop asking and just make it. Not that we keep track of these things, but I totally won the spicy sausage pasta debate. IT IS SO GOOD. This is definitely one of my favorite dinners and I try to work it in as often as I can. It is delicious, cheesy, spicy, filling, mmmmm, I'm hungry and want more.

Not only is it yummy, it is pretty economical and very simple to make, too. I usually serve it with a loaf of french bread (the $1 loaves at Wal-Mart are actually very good!). I usually use an entire box of pasta and we both have leftovers for our lunches for a day or two, depending on how hungry we were, ha. I've added spinach to the mix before and that was good, too.

Ingredients:
1 lb smoked sausage (or some equivalent, I've used andouille and other types, too, but love 4-Pepper Blend)
1/2 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz bite-sized pasta (I'm a huge fan of garden rotini, it adds a nice color to this already colorful dish)
1 can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded cheese, I use pepper jack but you can use a monterey jack or something similar
1/4 cup green onions, sliced thin
Olive oil

First, cut your smoked sausage into bite-sized pieces. I slice it into coins and then quarter them...I like small bites. Dice up your onion, mince your garlic, and because I'm picky (sometimes) and don't really like tomato bites, I actually drain my Ro-Tel and mince up the tomatoes & green chiles, too. But be sure to reserve the liquid from the can, you need it for flavor!

Love my huge cutting board. 

Next, brown your sausage with just a little bit of olive oil. Add your onions and cook until transluscent, adding olive oil if needed. Add garlic and cook another 1-2 minutes.

Next, add in Ro-Tel (with liquid) and chicken broth. Bring to a boil.

And we're boiling.

Add heavy cream and pasta, stir, turn down to a simmer. Cover and let sit for 15(ish) minutes or until your pasta is cooked. I stir once about half way through just to make sure it isn't sticking.

Add cheese, mix in well and let sit a minute or so until it melts.

The cheese makes the sauce!

Add green onions on top and serve!

It makes great leftovers, too!

This is seriously good. And it is one of those one pot (skillet) pastas, so not many dirty dishes! Really this is what I have to wash: cutting board, knife, strainer, spoon, skillet. EASY.

I mean, just, look at it. 

While this is a bit spicy, you can always tone it down by using mild Ro-Tel and non-spicy cheese.

Enjoy!