Two pot meals make it so fast and easy to put dinner on the table. Here’s my easy and delicious adaptation of the Giada deLaurentiis recipe that I call Two-Pot Fusilli & Sausage, including a vegetarian alternative!
I admit that I’m a Food Network junkie. Thou shalt not interrupt my Saturday and Sunday mornings when I binge watch not only what’s airing, but what I’ve saved to my DVR throughout the week! I’ve learned so many of my cooking techniques from the network’s shows, and have come to love many of their stars. Giada deLaurentiis is one of them. I think in part it’s because Italian food is my favorite. But, frankly she could cook shoe leather and I’d relish every minute!
A long time ago, she featured this dish on one of her shows. All I can say is I remember wishing for smell-ivision! Oh, it looked wonderful and the ingredients pretty basic. No scavenger hunt required. At this point, I’ve made it so often I just whip it up without following any recipe. And, I’ve learned to keep most of the ingredients on hand. It’s pulled me out of a pinch many times with unexpected dinner guests! I’ve also made a mega batch when I’ve had team parties. What’s really neat is I was able to modify it for vegetarian family members without losing any of the original recipe!
So here it is, my Two-Pot Fusilli & Sausage, with appropriate props to Giada deLaurentiis for the original recipe. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Two Pot Fusilli & Sausage
Ingredients
- 1 pound loose Italian sausage sweet or spicy, your choice
- 1 8 oz jar sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil tomotoes cut in slices, but save the oil!
- 1 13.75 oz can, artichoke hearts I buy what's least expensive and cut up myself!
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 oz dried fusilli cooked according to package
- 2 C chicken stock
- 1 C dry white wine use what you drink!
- 3/4 C shredded parmesan cheese plus extra to top serving
- 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1/2-1/3 C fresh basil cut in chiffonade
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In separate large pot, begin cooking fusilli according to package instructions in heavily salted water.
- In a separate large skillet, heat 3 T of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes. Add Italian sausage and cook until done. Remove sausage to a bowl. In same skillet, add artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic. Saute' until garlic begins to soften. Add chicken broth and wine, and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until the liquid reduces by a quarter. Reduce to simmer, and add sausage back in. When fusilli is done cooking, add the pasta directly to skillet and stir in. Do not rinse the fusilli. Add salt and pepper to taste (approximately 1 tsp of salt and 8-10 cranks on a pepper mill.)
- Add shredded Parmesan, and toss together. Add cubes of mozzarella and fresh basil, and toss again. Transfer to serving dish, top with a bit more shredded Parmesan and fresh basil, and serve immediately.
