Lately, I’ve been all about easy, one-pan healthy meals that make me feel good in the wake of all of these holiday parties and open bars.
Don’t get me wrong, I love that the season of giving is the season of indulging, but I find myself really craving some nice fresh vegetables half of the time, especially on a weeknight.
Right after Thanksgiving, I was really craving a ton of fresh, healthy meals that would keep me nourished and happy following the holiday.
I bought some Trader Joe’s chicken sausage, and found one particular recipe from Jenn Eats Good. It was so delicious that I figured I’d experiment with it.
I ended up creating a version inspired by it that isn’t dairy free, but has maximum deliciousness from all sorts of different flavors.
Best of all?
It’s easily a 30 minute meal.
Trust me, you will love every bit of this easy meal.
What You’ll Need:
Trader Joe’s Italian Style Chicken Sausage: I am such a fan of regular Italian sausage that I was very skeptical to give this healthier option a try. But I was astounded when I finally did—it tasted almost identical to traditional pork sausage! Make sure you get the Italian style kind, you won’t regret it.
Tomato Paste: A few scoops from a fresh can of tomato paste will do the trick with this. If you don’t have tomato paste, you can crush up a few cherry tomatoes with a wooden spoon; they have a similar flavor profile and will still make for a delicious meal.
Chicken Broth: Use chicken broth for maximum flavor with this recipe.
Diced Shallot: I prefer shallots over onions in my Italian style recipes, as the flavor is sweeter and tends to blend with the overall dish better. However, if all you have is an onion, feel free to use a quarter of a regular yellow onion.
Minced Garlic: Every single dish is better with minced garlic. Just be sure to mince it yourself and not use the kind that comes in a jar.
Spinach: This gives the recipe the kick of freshness that makes it so delicious. If you don’t like spinach, use kale.
Heavy Cream: You don’t need a lot, just a dash to keep this dish thick, creamy, and delicious. If heavy cream doesn’t agree with you, you can substitute it for oat milk, a popular choice for a dairy alternative.
Olive Oil: Use a delicious olive oil, one that you won’t mind tasting.
Salt, Pepper, Italian Seasoning: This will give your dish all of the flavor that it needs.
What You Do:
@gianna_ferrini Just wanna have a talk with whoever said cozy dishes cant be healthy! Italian style chicken sausage in a creamy red sauce broth w gf pasta 🤭 #cozypastadishes #cozymeals #healthypastarecipes
First, dice your chicken sausage into little pieces. With your olive oil, heat them in a large skillet on medium-high heat until crispy on both sides. No need to worry about the internal temperature, the flavorful chicken sausages come pre cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the rest of the olive oil, begin to saute your diced shallot. Saute until fragrant and translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add your minced garlic, stirring for another minute or so.
Add your tomato paste, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, and begin to combine with the shallot and garlic. Gently pour in broth to emulsify the tomato paste, stirring until the paste breaks up and disperses.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add your pasta, and cook until al dente, making sure to save a cup or so of pasta water (alternatively, you can cook the pasta right inside of the sauce, just make sure it’s completely covered and use a bit more broth if necessary).
Add heavy cream, turn your heat to high, and let everything start to bubble. Turn it to low, add your chicken sausage back in, and let it simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add your spinach and let wilt in the sauce. Once ready, add your pasta to the pan, and thoroughly stir to combine.
Top with grated parmesan cheese or grated Romano cheese.
FAQs:
Q: Can I freeze this dish?
A: Due to everything combining in the pan together, including the pasta, I don’t recommend freezing this dish. However, you can freeze the chicken sausage until you’re ready to use it if you’d like.
Q: What else can I use in this dish besides chicken sausage?
A: Shrimp would be delicious with this, same with diced chicken. If you’re using chicken, just make sure to coat the pieces in seasoned flour before use. And of course, traditional sausage would be delicious as well.
In terms of chicken sausage, I would recommend using the Italian style chicken sausage rather than the sweet apple chicken sausage. The flavor profile will be a lot better.
Q: What kind of pasta should I use?
A: I used brown rice pasta, to keep this dish gluten free, but you could use red lentil pasta, whole grain pasta, chickpea pasta, cauliflower gnocchi; even regular pasta if you’d like.
Some Other Great Recipes To Try Out With This:
Drink: Try out this light limoncello spritz with this dish!
Appetizer: Craving something a little lighter? Try this ciabatta garlic bread.
Dessert: Have some extra time on your hands? Try making some homemade gelato!
Print
Trader Joe’s Chicken Sausage Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Package Trader Joe’s Italian Style Chicken Sausage
- 3 Tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1–2 CupsChicken Broth
- 1 Diced Shallot
- 4 Cloves Minced Garlic
- 1–2 Cups Spinach
- ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 Tbsp Grated Romano Cheese
- Salt, Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes Italian Seasoning to taste
Instructions
- Slice the package of the Italian style sausage into thin slices.
- In a large pan over medium high heat, begin to saute the sausages in a tablespoon of olive oil until they’re browned on both sides. Remove from the pan.
- Using the rest of the olive oil, add the shallot and garlic into the pan and saute over medium heat until fragrant. Add the tomato paste, and mix to combine with the shallot and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan, and stir to combine.
- Add the heavy cream, and bring the mixture to a boil, and then immediately reduce the heat to a simmer, seasoning with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, and adding the chicken sausage back in.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta according to package instructions, being sure to reserve pasta water.
- While the pasta is boiling, add the spinach to the sauce, and stir until it wilts.
- Add the grated cheese to the sauce, and if need be, some of the pasta water. Stir to combine.
- Add the pasta directly to the pan and mix until thoroughly combined.
