I’ve been thinking lately, with all of these meals we’re eating at home, how to mix up the staple recipes in our weekly dinner routine to feel new. With the warm weather (finally) here, I’ve been turning to the grill quite a bit for dinner-prep. I love that it gives me some time outside in the fresh air, and generally makes quick work of the cooking process. We love a good pasta dish in our house, and this recipe is a fun way to bring the grilled flavor into a quick, weeknight pasta recipe. I made this simple dish with just 10 ingredients: pasta, veggies, tons of fresh herbs from my garden, and flavorful al fresco chicken sausage. 
To make this dish I start by cooking a long noodle like malfadine – if I’m feeling fancy – or a classic fettucine. Cook the pasta to al dente with some well-salted water, and give it a light drizzle of olive oil when you drain it to prevent sticking. While the pasta is cooking, I get a grill pan hot over medium-high heat on my grill outside. Toss small cherry or grape tomatoes and halved mushrooms with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and then get them onto the hot grill pan to cook. Sliced pieces of al fresco chicken sausage also get added to the grill pan at the same time. I used the Roasted Pepper and Asiago al fresco chicken sausage for this dish, but other flavors like the Roasted Garlic or Sweet Italian sausages work well too.
The veggies cook super-fast on the grill, so using the pre-cooked al fresco chicken sausage works great since it just needs to be crisped up on the grill pan. Everything cooks at about the same time, meaning you only have to use one pan (key for easy clean up with a weeknight dinner). As the small tomatoes start to burst, the mushrooms cook down, and the al fresco chicken sausage gets browned from the grill, you can pull everything off and toss it with the cooked pasta. I drizzle everything with more olive oil, salt and pepper, and then fold in tons of fresh herbs from garden. Chopped basil, parsley and chives all wilt a bit under the warmth of the pasta, while the burst tomatoes coat the noodles and combine with the olive oil to “sauce” the dish.
Every good pasta recipe ends with some fresh grated parmesan cheese! Sprinkle some parmesan over the top and you’re ready to serve dinner. This dish reheats really well, so pack up leftovers to for lunch the next day and enjoy it twice! Get the full recipe below:
- 1 lb. of Long Pasta (like malfadine or fettucine)
- 4 Al Fresco Chicken Sausage
- 2 Cups of Mixed Tomatoes
- 1 Cup of Mushrooms, quartered
- Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 Tbsp of Fresh Basil, chopped
- 2 Tbsp of Parsley, chopped
- 2 Tbsp of Chives, chopped
- Parmesan cheese, fresh grated
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta as directed to al dente, drain and toss with a light drizzle of olive oil.
- While the pasta is cooking, bring your grill to medium-high heat. Add tomatoes, halved mushrooms, and sliced al fresco chicken sausage onto a grill pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, tossing once or twice.
- Once the small tomatoes start to burst, the mushrooms cook down, and the sausage gets browned from the grill, remove the ingredients from the grill and toss with the cooked pasta.
- Fold in chopped basil, parsley and chives, and drizzle with additional olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese before serving.
Please note: This post was created in partnership with al fresco Chicken Sausage. All opinions, images and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands that support this site.
