Spicy Sausage Pasta

Well it's been a while. And with good reason - the baby boy I was gestating made an early entrace on August 5th! He was seven weeks ahead of schedule and doing well despite a four week stay in the NICU. I am pretty sure I made this dish and took this photo well before his arrival. However, I have made this dish a few times since he came into this world because it is super quick, tasty, and only gets one pan dirty. The only modifications I make are to omit the salt (it gets enough with the broth, canned tomatoes, cheese and the sausage), and scale back on the cream. This easy recipe is one that is in our rotation.

Recipe from the blog, Kevin & Amanda

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb smoked sausage
• 1.5 cups diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz penne pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
• 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Directions:

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.