Balsamic Smoked Sausage Pasta
This smoked sausage pasta recipe is quick, uses a handful of everyday ingredients, and it'll hit the spot on busy weeknights!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 8 ounces uncooked pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 pound smoked sausage cut into rounds or smaller
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water for your pasta. Cook it al dente according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the sausage pieces and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally so all sides get a chance to start browning.
- Add in the onions. Continue cooking (stirring occasionally) until the onions have started to lightly brown and the sausage gets some nice color. You may need to turn the heat down once it gets going so nothing burns.
- Stir in the red peppers and garlic. Cook for a minute or so (I like the red pepper to still have some crunch).
- Remove everything from the pan and set it aside, then pour the balsamic vinegar into the pan. Cook until it's reduced by half (about 1 minute or so), and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, and then add the sausage mixture back in. Give it a good stir.
- Add a splash (a couple tablespoons or so) of the pasta water to the skillet prior to draining the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately.
Notes
- I used a Ukrainian smoked sausage coil for this recipe. Any smoked sausage will work, or something like kielbasa would work too. I buy the kind that's already fully cooked. This type of sausage is not very greasy at all. If you use a sausage that's raw, you will have to cook it for longer and probably drain some of the fat depending on what kind of sausage you buy.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. Calories will vary depending on what sausage you use. Some are leaner than the one in my nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
Calories: 643kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 971mg | Potassium: 441mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 931IU | Vitamin C: 39mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 2mg