Fettuccine with Sausage, Arugula, and Tomatoes

May 23

May 23 Fettuccine with Sausage, Arugula, and Tomatoes

Pasta, sausage, tomatoes, fettuccine, easy pasta

The simple truth I live by is this: pasta is a lifesaver on weeknights. It cooks quickly, feeds a lot of mouths, and is wonderfully filling. This recipe calls for fresh fettuccine (which decreases the cooking time and adds a toothsome bite) and a handful of other ingredients that pack it full of color and flavor. I always use turkey sausage so it’s a little lighter than your standard sausage pasta, plus lots of peppery arugula and gorgeous cherry tomatoes. The pasta water is key here too—adding several ladles of the starchy liquid gives the dish a silky composition. This weeknight pasta is a family favorite in our house (it’s so good that we even fight over the leftovers), and I hope it will be in yours too!

Fettuccine with Sausage, Spinach, and Tomatoes

adapted from Cooking Light

Serves: 4-6
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
9 ounces fresh fettuccine
12 ounces turkey sausage, removed from casings
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes
5 ounces baby arugula
1 cup Pecorino Romano

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a large pasta pot.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon and allowing it to brown, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, then sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until tomatoes have begun to burst, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat.

Generously salt the boiling water. Add fettuccine and cook according to package instructions.

While the pasta cooks, finish your sauce. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush the tomatoes so the juices run. Cover the pan again for 3 minutes, making sure the heat is on low. Add pasta directly to the sauce, then mix in ¾ cup Pecorino. Raise heat to a simmer and pour 1 cup of the reserved cooking water to the sauce, swirling to combine. Remove from heat, add arugula and stir. Top with remaining ¼ cup Pecorino and serve.