Pasta with Walnut Pesto, Sausage, and Broccolini

Pasta with walnut pesto, sausage and broccolini

Here’s another easy-peasy one-bowl pasta dish that is kid and hubby approved! Who doesn’t like that? This was showcased on Oprah’s site as a super foods meal. I think it was showcased as a super foods meal due to the walnut pesto and broccolini. I don’t think the sausage was contributing factor to that title, but that’s ok, because the sausage was the contributing factor to my kids rating this dish a 10. Hey, you have to throw something kid friendly in a dish that has walnuts in it, at least in my house. This pasta is similar to my broccolini, sausage and orecchiette pasta, but a bit different with the walnut pesto serving as the base sauce. I loved the addition of the walnut pesto and the toasted chopped walnuts. The pesto clings to the pasta and the chopped walnuts add a healthy & nutty crunch to the dish!

The walnut pesto can be made ahead of time. I made mine earlier in the day so when it was time to cook up dinner, I had one step completed. I also made another batch to store in the freezer for another last minute dinner idea. This pesto freezes well because there is no added cheese. You really don’t miss the cheese in this pesto either. To freeze the pesto, just brush small glass container with some olive oil, pour the pesto in, seal it up and throw it in your freezer.

Pasta with walnut pesto, sausage and broccolini

Pasta with walnut pesto, sausage and broccolini

Recipe adapted from Oprah
serves 4 to 6

For the pasta:

  • 1 pound rigatoni or your favorite pasta- you can also use a whole-wheat or whole grain pasta to boost up the nutritional value
  • 4 sweet italian sausages (about 1 pound), casings removed
  • 1-2 bunches broccolini or baby broccoli, tough ends trimmed
  • shredded pecorino romano cheese for topping the pasta
  • 1/4 cup toasted and chopped walnuts for topping the pasta
  • walnut pesto (see recipe below)

For the walnut pesto:

  • 1/4 cup walnuts, toasted
  • 2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
  • 1 small garlic clove, peeled
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients for pasta with walnut pesto, sausage and broccolini

Let’s first prep all of the ingredients. Peel your garlic clove, wash and dry your basil leaves, wash and trim your broccolini and toast up the 1/2 cup walnuts. The recipe calls for 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, 1/4 cup for the pesto and 1/4 cup to top the pasta. My favorite way to toast nuts is by using a frying pan. Some people like to toast them in the oven, but the frying pan seems to work better for me.  Heat a medium sized frying pan over medium heat. Add walnuts to the hot, dry pan and cook, watching constantly and stirring frequently, until walnuts start to brown and smell toasted, about 5 minutes. Let the walnuts cool. Reserve 1/4 cup of walnuts for the pesto and chop the rest of the walnuts, and then set aside. You will use these to top the pasta.

Remove the sausages from their casing. All you have to do to remove the sausage from it’s casing is to cut a slit down the length of the sausage and then peel it open and remove the sausage. You’re going to literally push and tear it out of it’s casing. You might have some casing left on the sausage, but it doesn’t matter.  You can always remove the sausages from their casings ahead of time and reserve the sausage in a sealed glass container. I tend to do this earlier in the day, so when it comes time to make dinner, I have one less thing to do.

Now its time to make the walnut pesto.  Like I said earlier, you can make this pesto earlier in the day or even the day before.

Walnut pesto ingredients

Combine the 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, 2 cups basil, peeled garlic clove, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor.

Walnut pesto ingredients in food processor

Process and while the motor is running, drizzle in the 1/2 cup olive oil to form the pesto; set aside. Note: If you don’t have a large food processor and only have a mini prep, then you can put all of the ingredients plus the 1/2 cup olive oil into the mini prep and whiz away. Pour the pesto into a ramekin or small glass dish.

Walnut pesto

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, while the water is heating up, you want to cook up your sausages. Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the sausage breaking it up into pieces with a spoon, until browned. Remove the browned sausage with a slotted spoon and place the sausage onto a paper towel lined plate.

Cooking sausage in skillet

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the broccolini during the last minute of cooking time. Basically if your pasta says it will be done in 13 minutes, then set a timer for 12 minutes and then add the broccolini for the last minute of cooking time (making it a total of 13 minutes). I loved this step because it was all done in one pot at the same time!  How efficient!  Drain both the pasta and broccolini  together.

Cooking broccoli rabe

Put the pasta and broccolini back into the pot and add in the cooked sausage and the pesto.

Pasta with walnut pesto in pot

Serve the pasta up into individual bowls and top with some freshly grated pecorino romano cheese and chopped walnuts.

Pasta with walnut pesto, sausage and broccolini

This pasta tastes great leftover as all of the flavor combinations have had a change to mingle. My kids were not complaining when I served this up again the next night.

With love Jackie

Pasta with Walnut Pesto, Sausage, and Broccolini

Recipe by Jackie
0.0 from 0 votes

    Ingredients

    • For the pasta
    • 1 pound rigatoni or your favorite pasta- you can also use a whole-wheat or whole grain pasta to boost up the nutritional value

    • 4 sweet italian sausages (about 1 pound), casings removed

    • 1-2 bunches broccolini or baby broccoli, tough ends trimmed

    • shredded pecorino romano cheese for topping the pasta

    • ¼ cup toasted and chopped walnuts for topping the pasta

    • walnut pesto (see recipe below)

    • For the walnut pesto
    • ¼ cup walnuts, toasted

    • 2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed

    • 1 small garlic clove, peeled

    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt

    • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

    Directions

    • Let's first prep all of the ingredients. Peel your garlic clove, wash and dry your basil leaves, wash and trim your broccolini and toast up the ½ cup walnuts. The recipe calls for ½ cup toasted walnuts, ¼ cup for the pesto and ¼ cup to top the pasta. My favorite way to toast nuts is by using a frying pan. Some people like to toast them in the oven, but the frying pan seems to work better for me. Heat a medium sized frying pan over medium heat. Add walnuts to the hot, dry pan and cook, watching constantly and stirring frequently, until walnuts start to brown and smell toasted, about 5 minutes. Let the walnuts cool. Reserve ¼ cup of walnuts for the pesto and chop the rest of the walnuts, and then set aside. You will use these to top the pasta.

    • Remove the sausages from their casing. All you have to do to remove the sausage from it’s casing is to cut a slit down the length of the sausage and then peel it open and remove the sausage. You're going to literally push and tear it out of it’s casing. You might have some casing left on the sausage, but it doesn’t matter. You can always remove the sausages from their casings ahead of time and reserve the sausage in a sealed glass container. I tend to do this earlier in the day, so when it comes time to make dinner, I have one less thing to do.

    • Now its time to make the walnut pesto. Like I said earlier, you can make this pesto earlier in the day or even the day before.

    • Combine the ¼ cup toasted walnuts, 2 cups basil, peeled garlic clove, and ¼ teaspoon salt in the bowl of a food processor.

    • Process and while the motor is running, drizzle in the ½ cup olive oil to form the pesto; set aside. Note: If you don't have a large food processor and only have a mini prep, then you can put all of the ingredients plus the ½ cup olive oil into the mini prep and whiz away. Pour the pesto into a ramekin or small glass dish.

    • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, while the water is heating up, you want to cook up your sausages. Place the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the sausage breaking it up into pieces with a spoon, until browned. Remove the browned sausage with a slotted spoon and place the sausage onto a paper towel lined plate.

    • Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the broccolini during the last minute of cooking time. Basically if your pasta says it will be done in 13 minutes, then set a timer for 12 minutes and then add the broccolini for the last minute of cooking time (making it a total of 13 minutes). I loved this step because it was all done in one pot at the same time! How efficient! Drain both the pasta and broccolini together.

    • Put the pasta and broccolini back into the pot and add in the cooked sausage and the pesto.

    • Serve the pasta up into individual bowls and top with some freshly grated pecorino romano cheese and chopped walnuts.

    • This pasta tastes great leftover as all of the flavor combinations have had a change to mingle. My kids were not complaining when I served this up again the next night.

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      8 thoughts on “Pasta with Walnut Pesto, Sausage, and Broccolini”

      1. MMMM! Brocclini is called tenderstem over here and I adore it!! I can imagine it going so well with sausage (although what doesn’t?!). Im still hankering after the sausage and fennel combo though.

        Im like you where Im such a morning person I actually prefer it when the clocks go BACK and its light outside earlier in the AM… no-one can understand it! Except those long spring/ summer nights are lovely too. Im just finishing up some really rank cheap coffee – in an effort not to be wasteful before we come to the states – so Im very jealous of you having nice coffee!!

        1. Hey Em! It’s Peets coffee and you need to get yourself some when you get over here! No excuses lady! Broccolini is called a few things over here to but I am keeping it simple and just calling it broccolini all the time 😉

          Sorry your arrival to Cali is on a rainy week ;(

      2. Josée Lachance

        Hello Jackie,

        I stumbled on your blog and have been browsing through it this morning. Great recipes and I love the photos that accompany them. I will be busy trying out many of the recipes! I’ve also recently “discovered” Kale and have been on the lookout for recipes so I’m looking forward to massaging my next kale salad (hahaha).

        1. Hi Josee! Thanks so much for your sweet comment! I take all the photographs myself, so thanks for saying that they are pretty 🙂 I know you will love anyone of my kale salads, if you love kale. My fave and the easiest to prepare is the lacinato kale salad. Give that a try first! I can’t wait to hear what you end up making! xoxo, Jackie

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