Pasta is one of those dishes that can be exciting and so satisfying, yet very simple and quick to prepare.
I came up with this dish, because I happened to have lamb sausage in my freezer that needed using after making my Lamb Sausage and Dried Fig Farro. The addition of fresno chilies was actually inspired by a pasta dish I watched Mario Batali make on The Chew. I am by no means a talk show person, but happen to absolutely love that show.
Anyway, back to the pasta. The combination of flavors works really, really well here. The savory sausage, spicy chilies and fruity, castelvetrano olives play off each other perfectly. If you can't handle the heat, simply omit the chilies or substitute them with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
You can't forget the cheese, of course. I used grana padano, which is very similar to parmesan cheese. For freshness, I tossed in some parsley and voila, we have an amazing pasta dish here!
Strozzapreti Pasta with Lamb Sausage, Chilies & Olives
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3 servings 1x
Description
After coming across this beautiful lamb sausage at a local shop, I knew I wanted to come up with a few creative dishes to utilize it. That's how this Strozzapreti Pasta with Lamb Sausage, Chilies & Olives came to be.
Ingredients
- ½ lb strozzapreti pasta, or pasta of choice
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
- 8 oz Italian lamb sausage, removed from casing, or ground lamb*
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1-2 fresno chilies, thinly sliced
- ¼ cup castelvetrano olives, pitted, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup grana padano or parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- 1/3 cup parsley leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
- Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season generously with salt (about 1-2 tablespoons of kosher salt per 4-6 quarts of water). Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving one cup of cooking water.
- Brown sausage: While the pasta cooks, heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add sausage, breaking up in the pan, and cook 6-8 minutes or until well-browned.
- Make sauce & toss pasta: Reduce heat to medium. Stir garlic into sausage and sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in chilies and olives. Toss pasta in sausage mixture. Stir in cheese with a splash of reserved pasta water, or more as needed. Sauté about 2-3 minutes, or until mixture thickens. Toss in parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
- Serve: Drizzle over finishing oil and top with more grated cheese. Enjoy.
Notes
If using ground lamb, season generously with salt and pepper while browning in pan.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Saute
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ⅓ of pasta
- Calories: 318
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 384mg
- Fat: 15g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Carbohydrates: 31g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 15g
Miss Dinie says
Nice! Are you Italian? Are most of these recipes authentic?
Sabrina says
I am Italian :). Some of the recipes are authentic and others I made up on my own. This lamb pasta dish, for example, was my own creation
Miss Dinie says
It looked good! I wouldn't mind making it now! Made lasagne with lamb mince today!
Sabrina says
Thanks and that sounds good!
Liz says
I love the recipe and even love the photos more!
Sabrina says
Thanks so much, Liz!
HapaNomNom says
I'm a big fan of lamb and the pasta you used is just gorgeous! Love the bowls too 🙂
Sabrina says
Thanks so much, Kathleen!!
Anna @ shenANNAgans says
I am not a huge fan of lamb, but that can be easily remedied. 🙂 Great recipe, comfort food for sure! Love your bowl SO MUCH! 🙂
Sabrina says
Yes, it's definitely comforting and I hope you find more lamb dishes you enjoy! Thanks so much, Anna!!
savorthebestcooks@gmail.com says
Oh, yes! This looks wonderful. I have never used lamb sausage before, I must look for it 🙂
Sabrina says
Thanks and you should! It's really delicious. Hope you find it!
Mom says
Wow! Fantastic Recipe????
Sabrina says
Thanks, mom 🙂
Tasty Eats Ronit Penso says
You're so right, lamb goes so well with olives and chili. Looks delicious!
Sabrina says
Thanks so much, Ronit!