One Pan Orecchiette with Spicy Italian Sausage and Asparagus – Leels Cooks

I’ve gotten more requests for one pan meals so I threw this together inspired by something similar I’ve had before.

A hearty pasta meal that you can throw together in about 20 minutes, that you can customize a few ways depending on preference/available ingredients. At the end of the post I’ll include some substitutions for inspiration!

Be sure to use low sodium chicken stock and season at the very end as the liquid will reduce significantly and you can overdo it with the salt!

What you need:

• 8 oz spicy or sweet italian sausage, removed from casing
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes (optional)
• 1 1/2 cup orecchiette
• 2 1/2-3 cups low sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup asparagus, sliced on the bias into 1″ pieces
• 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano or parmesan cheese (the good stuff!)
• handful flatleaf parsley, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan (make sure it’s deep enough!) or wide bottomed pot begin sauteeing italian sausage over medium heat until it begins to brown.  I don’t add any oil since it’s generally very fatty but if you have leaner meat add 1 tbsp of  a neutral flavoured oil to get it started.
2. Add garlic, shallot and chili flakes and continue to sautee until translucent.
3. Add chicken stock and scrape bottom of pan to get those tasty brown bits and add orecchiette. Stir to combine and lower heat slightly to continue simmering but not a hard boil, place a lid on top but don’t completely cover, leave a gap for steam to escape.
4. Let simmer for 18-20 minutes or until stock has mostly absorbed and pasta is al dente. If your pasta is underdone, or dry just adjust, add a bit more stock and continue to cook until desired doneness.
5. Remove lid and gently stir in asparagus. Cook for 1 additional minute. Season to taste.
6. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 of grated cheese and minced parsley. Stir gently and divide into bowls. Serve with additional grated cheese on top!

You can endlessly sub out the protein, vegetable or pasta types with this recipe, so make it your own!

For the protein try chicken, pancetta, or go vegetarian and sautee some wild mushrooms. Use any hearty vegetable like broccoli, peas, green beans or stir in spinach/arugula at the very end instead. Use any shape pasta you like, keep in mind that larger sized shapes may require more stock.

Enjoy! ❤