This recipe has been with our family since my youngest was just a baby. It is a great way to get the kiddos to try some vegetables (although I still have one who eats around them😂). The star in this dish is the sweet peppers. Yum! The simple sauce isn't overly heavy, and this dish comes together amazingly quick for those busy nights. I love any leftovers for lunch because it reheats amazingly well. Serve alongside a salad and some bread, and you may just have a new favorite meal!
Smoked Sausage Primavera
Serves 6
1 14-oz. smoked sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 onion, diced
1 red pepper, julienned
1 yellow pepper, julienned
1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli florets
12 oz. uncooked GF spaghetti noodles (we love Barilla)
1 12-oz. can evaporated milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
In a skillet, heat a small amount of oil and add the smoked sausage and onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sausages start to brown and the onion is golden. Add the evaporated milk, butter, and Italian seasoning. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cook spaghetti according to package directions, adding the broccoli and peppers to the pot during the last 4 minutes. Drain the spaghetti and veggies; add to the sausage mixture in the skillet. Toss to coat. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss. Season as desired.
Step-by-step tutorial:
Gather your ingredients. No foreign food items here. We love the Barilla gluten free spaghetti pasta. Don't worry kids......that big bag of broccoli is not all going in!
The beautiful sweet peppers are what make this dish so elegant and delicious.
Chop your onions, pepper, and smoked sausage. I cut my sausage lengthwise, then into bite-size slices so you get little "moon" shapes. Perfect size for little mouths (and big mouths). No prep work for the broccoli except to measure it out. Of course, this amount can be to your liking. More or less or none. It's up to you!
In a skillet heated with a drizzle of olive oil, add the sliced sausage and diced onion. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
You want the sausages starting to brown and the onions nice and caramelized.
Add the butter, evaporated milk, and Italian seasoning. Stir and let simmer for 5 minutes.
While the sausage and onion are cooking, I get the pasta water boiling. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, BUT add the broccoli and peppers during the last 4 minutes of boiling. This is a fast and easy way to get them cooked just right.
Drain the spaghetti and vegetables, then add to the skillet with the sausage mixture.
Top with Parmesan cheese (you can tell I'm getting to the bottom of my cheese with all those little cheese balls😂). Freshly grated Parmesan is even better!
Toss to coat, and serve!
It's a beautiful dish, isn't it? So colorful and flavorful. Serve it with some warm bread and you will have some happy kiddos! We love to top ours with freshly ground black pepper.
Fresh and filling, this pasta dish is a keeper!
Recipe source: Adapted from a recipe in Simple & Delicious magazine 2007
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