Penne in Pesto Sauce with Grilled Sausage: Dinner in Twenty

Penne pasta in Asiago-Pistachio Pesto Sauce topped with Grilled Sausage AKA “my shortest post yet.” I see some you smart-alecks applauding. You make me sick, LOL!!! No, but this “meal-in-twenty” is so simple and straightforward, even my talkative behind couldn’t make this a big to-do. In the summertime- especially towards the beginning of the week when I’m still trying to figure out where the weekend went- this is my jam.

So, here’s the inspiration for this recipe. Not really a moving post, but it’s one of necessity. My basil is growing like crazy! Seriously now, we planted one bush, and at some point, it seems as though the seeds were blown to the rest of the garden bed. Now we have, like, five bushes?!?! So, obviously I’m hustling to come up with some amazing recipes using this basil. But have no fear, they’ll all be as delicious as my recipes usually are- just…more green.

I prefer to use penne pasta because it holds a crap ton of sauce- as opposed to spaghetti, or fettuccini. You can use whatever pasta you have on hand, but try it with penne at least once. Rigatoni, farfalle, or pappardelle are all great substitutes for the penne.

As I said earlier, this recipe post will be short. This twenty minute meal recipe calls for my Asiago-Pistachio Pesto Sauce, and for this penne, nothing else will compare. I didn’t disappoint over there- a plethora of words were used; which is what I know you’ve come to expect from your girl. Obviously, you can use store-bought pesto, but this recipe legit takes only ten minutes to make. Please, for the love of all that is holy, invest ten minutes in yourself.

Now, the sausage I’m using is a kielbasa, or Polish sausage. And while most of the kielbasa that I purchase is pork, there are beef varieties available. I’m not quite sure if they’re still considered kielbasa if they’re made from anything other than beef or pork, but who cares? All you need for this vibrant Summer dish is a good grilling sausage. One package is sufficient, unless you have a lot of hungry folks around your table. Since they love the pesto, my family prefers this dish to be heavy on the, “Freaking amazing pasta,” and light on the meat. Hey, I never said they were insightful food critics.

Normally, this is the point in the post where I begin to give you the details for the recipe…so, here it goes:

Bring a gallon of water to a rapid boil in a large stock pot. Now salt it. Add the penne and stir. Boil the pasta for ten minutes.

While the pasta is boiling, grill the sliced sausage on a preheated grill. Grill on both sides for three to four minutes. Remove from the grill and keep warm.

Drain the pasta in a colander. Return the penne to the stock pot. Stir in a cup and a half of the prepared pesto sauce.

Spoon the pasta onto dinner plates, dividing it equally. Top with the grilled sausage. Sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired.

Finally, all that’s left is for you to do is eat and enjoy! Since so many of us struggle with finding the perfect quick-fix meal, you should probably pin this recipe for later. Also, be sure to share it with the rest of the world.

Penne in Pesto Sauce with Grilled Sausage

Marta Rivera at Sense & Edibility

5 from 4 votes

Use homemade pesto sauce to make this meal extra-special.

Special equipment needed:

• large stock pot
• charcoal or gas  grill (see note for other options)
• colander

Servings: 4 servings

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 14 oz pkg Polish sausage
• water for boiling the pasta
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 12 oz pkg penne pasta or similar broad or tube-shaped pasta
• 1 1/2 cups prepared pesto sauce
• 4 oz asiago or parmesan cheese finely grated (for topping)

Instructions 

• Preheat your gas or charcoal  grill to 350°-400°F. Oil the grill's grates to prevent the sausage from sticking. Slice the sausage into 1/2" thick rounds. You should get 20 slices (if you get more that's okay). 
• Bring about a gallon of water to a rapid boil in a large stock pot. Add the salt once the water has begun to boil. Stir the penne into the boiling water and reduce the heat to med-high to prevent the water from foaming up and boiling over. Cook the pasta for ten minutes, or until al dente. *The package instructions should indicate cook time for al dente. 
• While the pasta is boiling, grill the sausage on one side for 3 to 4 minutes before flipping and grilling the other side for an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove the sausage from the grill and keep warm in an oven set to low, or in the microwave. 
• Once the pasta has finished cooking, drain it in a colander. Return the pasta to the stock pot and stir in the pesto sauce. Toss the pasta well to make sure it's completely coated. 
• Immediately spoon the pasta onto dinner plates, dividing the pasta equally. Top each portion with five pieces of sausage, and a sprinkle of grated cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

• Beef, turkey or chicken sausage may be substituted in place of the pork sausage. The meat can be omitted altogether to make this a vegetarian meal.
• You can also cook the sausage in the oven if you don't have a grill. Just broil the sausage for 3 minutes per side. 

Course Mains

Cuisine Italian

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