Pan with Turkey Sausage, Crimini Mushrooms, and Peas
Cremini Mushrooms roughly chopped
This is a sauceless pasta and one of my truly favorite go to meals. Ingredients are readily available even if you have to substitute a different sausage. Very light, very tasty and very easy to make. There aren’t a lot of ingredients, and it doesn’t take a long time to make. My husband, Joel, hates green things and loves this dish. And he even eats all the peas on his plate, which makes me very happy. A shout out to Giada de Laurentis for the inspiration here.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lb turkey sausages, casings removed (just squeeze all the meat out; I like Italian-style turkey sausage)
1 box of cremini mushrooms (Baby Bella), approx. 10 oz. (roughly chopped)
About 3/4 bag frozen peas (take them out of freezer about an hour before, just slightly thawed is perfect)
1 lb Farfalle pasta (bow ties)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Freshly grated parmesan, to taste
DIRECTIONS:
In a large, sauté pan, heat up two tablespoons olive oil (medium to high flame). Add the broken up turkey sausage and make sure to break up the large clumps. Cook for about 10 minutes (I like the sausage browned). When finished cooking, remove sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Heat a little more olive oil (approx. 2 TBSP). Add the chopped up cremini mushrooms and kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (approx. a little less than a teaspoon of each, depending on your taste. Keep in mind that sausage is naturally salty.) Sauté until all the liquid is gone—about another 10 minutes. Add the frozen peas and cook for a few minutes. Return the sausage to the pan and cook for another few minutes (I turn off the heat at this point and just let the flavors blend.)
In the meantime, cook pasta (according to package) al dente. Drain the pasta, reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water from pasta (this is the trick with “sauceless pasta”) and add pasta to the pan with all other ingredients. Combine well, adding some of that pasta water at a time; as needed. Drizzle in the 1/2 cup of olive oil, mixing as you go. Taste for salt and pepper. I also add red pepper flakes, but I love spicy.
Serve with freshly grated parm cheese and you’re good to go.
*Serves 4 as a main dish and 8 as a side.
Cooking with Candi 