Tasty Tuesday--Pesto Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

This is another recipe floating around pinterest. The recipe is from Gimme Some Oven.

This pasta was so fresh tasting, and I have a new-found love for brussels sprouts. As a kid, you couldn't get me to look at a brussels sprout. What was I thinking?  If only my picky-eating husband shared this brussels lovin' with me. Even with the brussels sprouts, he enjoyed this dish as well...he just picked around the yummy little guys.

Ingredients

1 lb. fresh brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and any yellowed/browned outer leaves removed, then sliced in half

3 Tbsp. olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly-ground black pepper

1 lb. orecchiette (I used bowtie) pasta

4 chicken sausage links, sliced into 1/4'' thick coins

5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (I minced mine)

1/3 cup pesto

Parmesan cheese, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together brussels sprouts, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir until well-combined.

Roast the brussels sprouts evenly on a baking sheet for about 20-30 minutes, stirring once partway through, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside (mine took less time than this.) Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until nearly browned, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the sausage is browned.

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water, and then toss together the pasta, pesto, cooked sausage and garlic, and brussels sprouts. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if needed for extra moisture.

Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese