Italian Chicken Sausage, Mushroom & Tomato Pasta

This Italian Chicken Sausage & Mushroom Pasta features two of my favorite shortcut ingredients to use when making quick dinner recipes--chicken sausages and flavor-packed mushrooms!

I recently told you about how much I love keeping a few packages of chicken sausages in my refrigerator because they make it possible for me to get dinner on the table in minutes. I partnered with Al Fresco this season to share a few easy dinner (or really anytime!) recipes like these Andouille Chicken Sausage Tacos with Mango Pineapple Salsa. 

Today it's all about an easy pasta dinner!

You already know that pasta is a crowd-pleasing lifesaver, but sometimes it can get a little overwhelming figuring out how to keep it interesting. Sure you can open up a jar of your favorite sauce and call it a day (and I do that a lot!), but this time of year, I love to take advantage of all the gorgeous fresh produce and whip up a fresh sauce that is loaded up with veggies and healthy proteins. It might seem complicated, but I promise that it's not.

One of the ways to keep things moving quickly is to start off with Al Fresco Italian Chicken Sausage. It's already fully cooked, which means you just have to slice it and heat it up in the pan along with a few other ingredients. Because the chicken sausage is also fully seasoned with incredible herbs and spices, it adds way more flavor to your dish than you would need by starting with raw chicken breasts or thighs.

My best tip is to start your sauce while waiting for your pasta water to boil. By the time the pasta is ready, the sauce will be too, so you just combine and serve!!

For this easy pasta recipe, I used mushroom, onions, a few handfuls of fresh cherry tomatoes, and some fresh herbs mixed in at the end. Mushrooms add tons of flavor as they cook down, and there are few things better than ripe summer tomatoes!

Like with all my recipes, I'd love for you to make this one your own. Swap in or add your own favorite vegetables (maybe zucchini or a handful of spinach?) or choose a different chicken sausage flavor (Roasted Pepper Asiago is another one of my favorites!).

There's really no way to go wrong with a simple staple recipe like this one!

****This post was sponsored by Al Fresco. As always, all recipes and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting brands like Al Fresco who make it possible for me to keep creating more great content for you!

Italian Chicken Sausage, Mushroom & Tomato Pasta
Serves 6

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
1 pound small to medium dry pasta (such as bowties, penne, rotini, etc.)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 pound button or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, grated or crurshed
1 package Al Fresco Sweet Italian Style Chicken Sausage, sliced
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions 
Bring 1 gallon of water to a rolling ball. Season boiling water with 1 1/2 tablespoons of salt. Once water is boiling, add the pasta and cook 1 minute less than package directions.

While the water boils and pasta cooks, start the sauce. Heat olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms, season with a pinch of kosher salt, and let cook 3-5 minutes until they start to soften and reduce.

Add the garlic and sliced chicken sausage and continue to cook, about 10 minutes until the mushrooms are fully cooked and the sausage as browned slightly on the sides. Add halved tomatoes, broth, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Drain the pasta, reserving one cup of pasta water. Add the cooked drained pasta to the sauce and continue to cook until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2-3 more minutes. (If sauce is too dry, add a 1/4 cup or so of reserved pasta water to loosen it.)

Remove from heat and stir in parsley and cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as need.

Serve immediately.