Skillet-Toasted Penne with Chicken Sausage

By PattiB

Here is a saucy, creamy pasta dish without a lick of cream or milk and only a wee bit of cheese. The trick is to cook the pasta like risotto, which releases starch into the liquid that becomes the sauce. The toasting step adds nutty, rich character and is a step not advised to skip.

1 serving = 411 calories. 46.1g carbs,2.4g fat.

Ingredients

• 6 cups unsalted chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 8 oz uncooked penne pasta
• 1 cup sliced sweet onion
• 13 oz Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp minced chiles
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 oz graded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 2 Tbsp)
• Oregano leaves (optional)

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 55mins
Cooking time 55mins
Adapted from cookinglight.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring stock to a simmer in a saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add pasta; cook 5 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Remove pasta from pan.

Add the remaining 1 Tsp oil, onion, and sausage to pan, cook 4 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble.

Remove sausage mixture from pan. Reduce heat to medium low. Return pasta to pan. Add stock, 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of stock is nearly absorbed before adding the next (about 35 minutes total), stirring frequently. Stir in sausage mixture, juice, chiles, salt, and cheese. Garnish with oregano, if desired.

SKILLET-TOASTED PENNE WITH BACON AND SPINACH:
Follow steps 1 and 2. Substitute 4 chopped center-cut bacon slices for the sausage, and 1/2 cup sliced shallots and 8 sliced garlic cloves for the onion. Substitute 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice and 1/2 tsp grated lemon rind for the 2 Tbsp lemon juice. Substitute 6 oz baby spinach for the chiles.
4 servings. 1 serving = 394 calories.