Orecchiette with Italian Sausage and Asparagus

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 20 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

1 lb. orecchiette

1 lb. medium asparagus, woody stems trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

2 tbsp. salted butter

1 lb. sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. heavy cream

1 c. grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, adding the asparagus during the last 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and asparagus.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the sausage and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and cook 1 minute, scraping up the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the parmesan, lemon zest, and lemon juice.

Add the pasta, asparagus, and basil to the pot and stir to coat. Serve with parmesan for topping.

Nutrition

• Calories: 1205
• Total Fat: 67 g
• Saturated Fat: 33 g
• Trans Fat: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 188 mg
• Sodium: 1235 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 94 g
• Dietary Fiber: 7 g
• Total Sugars: 10 g
• Protein: 50 g