Niamh O’Shaughnessy is a digital marketer and food blogger, @gourmetgrazing.
In winter I love hearty dishes like pasta, tray bakes or one-pots. Simple dishes that are packed with flavour. This dish is inspired by my mum, who was the best cook – she used to make this with bacon or leftover chicken, which also work really well.
Lately, I’ve been using sausage meat in lots of dishes, and I always have some in the freezer to form the basis of a quick meal. My one tip with this dish is to use really good-quality sausages with a higher pork content. Flavoured sausages work a treat too, adding in even more flavour.
This dish is ideal for a quick midweek meal and once you start cooking it you’ll find endless ways to switch up the recipe from week to week. It is a firm favourite in our house.
What you’ll need:
Serves 4
4-6 good quality sausages
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
150g frozen peas (or frozen spinach)
300g penne or fusilli
Dash of white wine (optional)
2 tbsp pesto
2 tbsp crème fraîche
50g Parmesan cheese
Juice of ½ a lemon
A jar or tub of pesto
Salt and pepper
How to cook it:
1 Remove the skins from the sausages and fry them in a pan, breaking the sausage meat up as you cook. You shouldn't need any oil in the pan due to the fat content in the sausage, but add a little drop if you do.
2 Once the sausage meat is crisp and brown, add the red onion and crushed garlic and continue to fry on a lower heat for a few minutes, until the onion begins to soften. At this stage, add the peas.
3 Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the pack instructions.
4 Add a splash of white wine to the sausage mixture in the frying pan, allowing the liquid to evaporate, then add the pesto, crème fraîche and Parmesan cheese.
5 Finally, add the lemon juice and some salt and pepper.
6 Toss the drained pasta through the sauce, and serve.
