Sausage & Brussels Sprout Pasta

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once boiling, add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and the pasta. Cook until just under al dente (you want to pasta to still have a bit of a bite because it will continue to cook in the skillet later in the recipe). Once cooked, reserve ¼ cup of pasta water and drain the rest and the cooked pasta aside.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the sausage to the pan. Let the sausage sit, undisturbed, for ~1-2 minutes to get some browning on that first side. Continue to cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces, until no pink remains. Remove from the pan and set aside. Try to reserve as much of the fat from the sausage in the pan as you can.

Leave the skillet on medium-high heat and, if you need it, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil. Throw the brussel sprouts into the pan, season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionall, until the brussel sprouts are cooked through and have gained a little color, about 4-5 minutes depending on the size of your brussel sprouts.

Add the sausage back to the pan along with the cooked pasta, parmesan cheese, pesto, and reserved pasta water. Toss everything together and taste for seasoning. Top with some more parmesan cheese, freshly cracked black pepper, a drizzle of olive oil, serve, and enjoy!