Turkey Sausage Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

Five years ago, I posted a recipe for Turkey Sausage Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes that I'd made for the first time. It was AMAZING and quickly became a favorite in our house. I think we've had this pasta for dinner at least 100 times since then and we can't get enough. I probably make it twice a month and I triple the recipe so Ryan and I can both have leftovers for lunch and have it again for dinner the next night. It's that good.

Every single time I make the recipe I think about taking photos of what I'm doing so I can update my old blog post with pretty pictures (my photography skills have drastically improved in the last 5 years). However, it's usually dark when I cook or I'm surrounded by wild animals (children) and can't pause long enough to snap a photo.  However, by some miracle (babysitter), I finally made this pasta early enough in the day that I could take some photos. So, I've updated the old post and figured that while I'm at it, I might as well share the recipe with you again, just in case you need a new addiction (or just something for dinner). You can refer back to the original post for all the juicy details (seriously...there is much discussion about juice).  And if you make this, please come back here and tell me how amazing it was. 

Turkey Sausage Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

(Adapted from Cook Yourself Thin Faster)

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 lb. lean (sweet or spicy) Italian turkey sausage (remove casings before cooking and crumble meat)

2 garlic cloves, minced
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (or more, to your taste)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons Italian dressing
salt & pepper (to taste - I use a lot of salt)

7 oz. whole wheat linguine, cooked al dente

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
lemon

Directions:

1. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and place over medium-high heat. Add the sausage; stir occasionally, making sure to break up the sausage into pieces. Cook for 5 minutes (until the meat begins to brown).
2. Add the garlic, pepper flakes, tomatoes, and thyme. Cook until the sausage turns dark brown and the tomato skins have burst.
3. Add white wine, chicken broth and Italian dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the al dente cooked pasta to the sausage and tomato mixture, stir to combine. Let the pasta soak up the extra juices and the sauce thicken (the longer the better).
5. Serve in a bowl, sprinkle with fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Buon Appetito!