Fusilli with Sundried Tomatoes, Artichokes and Sausage

Thanks A. for the Giada recipe recommendation! With the cooler weather, simple yet hearty pasta recipes are my go to for quick weeknight dinners. This dish really hit the spot and was even good the next day reheated for lunch. All the ingredients are fridge / pantry staples, so it's easy to make on a whim. I've used the white wine / chicken stock base for sauce in pasta before and it's always good; I should experiment with it some more with different ingredients. Sausage is often a good shortcut for meat in pasta since it's already well seasoned. I used Whole Foods organic whole wheat pasta, which is not bad for whole wheat pasta; not as gritty grainy tasting as Trader Joe's whole wheat pasta, and went well with the hearty dish. I also substituted 2/3 lbs (2 links) of hot chicken sausage from Whole Foods and used about 1/3 lb of fresh buffalo mozzarella, although I think the dish is fine without the mozzarella as well.

Fusilli with Sundried Tomatoes, Artichokes and Sausage Recipe (adapted from Giada de Laurentiis)

• To prep, dice 1 lb (2 cans) of artichoke hearts and 2/3 cups of drained sundried tomatoes (reserve 2 TB of oil). Mince 2 gloves of garlic. Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta
• Heat 2 TB of oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the links of hot chicken sausage, casing removed. Cook until done, about 8 minutes, breaking up with a wooden spoon. When sausage is done, transfer with a slotted spoon onto a paper-towel lined plate and set aside
• In the same pan, saute the garlic and artichoke hearts for about 2 minutes. Season with a little salt and pepper
• Add 1/2 cup of white wine to deglaze the pan a bit. Then add 1 3/4 cups of chicken broth and the sundried tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about 8 minutes
• Cook the pasta for about 9 minutes, until short of al dente. Cube 1 1/2 balls of mozzarella, grate 1/2 cup of parmesan, chiffonade a handful of basil (optional: handful of parsley)
• Transfer the pasta and sausage all into the large pan with the sauce. Add the parmesan, basil and toss thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper if necessary (depends on how seasoned the sausage is). Finally, add the mozzarella, mix and serve