Cavatelli with Chicken Sausage, Sundried Tomatoes, Olives and Broccolini for One

I whipped up this delicious little dinner the other night while my in house taste tester was out. He doesn’t prefer olives or sundried tomatoes so I knew recipe would make a great single girl dinner.

This pasta came together in no time and was chocked full flavor and texture. I served myself a big helping and curled up on the couch to watch an episode of Call the Midwife.  It was the perfect single girl evening!

What you need,

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1 tbsp. olive oil

1 chicken sausage, whatever brand you like

10 Kalamata Olives, pits removed, coarsely chopped

5-6 sundried tomatoes packed in oil, sliced thinly

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1 small bunch broccolini, chopped into 1 inch pieces (about 2 cups)

Black Pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese for topping

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil. Remove the casing from the sausage, breaking it into small chunks and cook until brown and cooked through.

Meanwhile heat a large pot of water over high heat until boiling.

Add the broccolini to the water and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the olives and sundried tomatoes to the sausage.  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Scoop the broccolini out of the water using a slotted spoon; add it directly to the pan with the sausage. Add the garlic and sauté for a minute before turning the heat down to medium low.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as directed. When the pasta is cooked, drain and reserve about ½ cup of the cooking liquid.

Add the cooked pasta to the hot pan and toss to coat. Season the pasta with pepper and salt if needed. Remember the olives and the sundried tomatoes are both salty!

If you add a little of the pasta water it will make a lovely thin sauce.

I added about ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese right to the pan and stirred to coat.

Serve the pasta right away and top with a little more cheese, just because!

This was a lovely dinner, so full of flavor and so simple! I loved it a lot, the sweet sausage with the salty olives and the crisp green broccolini went so well together. 

I will be making this again soon, for sure!

Enjoy!

Jen

Recipe adapted from A Beautiful Plate