Did you know I LOVE being a food blogger. It gives me a voice. A voice to tell people about wonderful things.
Companies look to me to get the word out about wonderful promotions that you might not otherwise know about.
Johnsonville Sausage invited me to be a part of their Johnsonville Kitchens Community Blogging Panel and to be an ambassador for their products. You know I jumped at the opportunity. I mean, who doesn’t love Johnsonville sausage? ( well, maybe vegetarians). Did you know they have 10 different varieties of Italian Sausage? You can view them all here.
Are you creative with sausage? Do you have a mouth watering recipe that incorporates Johnsonville Italian Sausage?
Go and enter the Johnsonville Italian Inspiration Recipe Contest. It’s a photo recipe contest, so make sure your photos are decent. The prize is a culinary trip for 2 to Abruzzo, Italy! So run on over to their facebook page and enter!
Johnsonville sent me some goodies to create a recipe. I had the hardest times trying to choose just one of them that was swirling in my mind.
I went with easy. Baseball has been keeping me busy, so time doesn’t seem to be on my side these days.
So here is my easy recipe that incorporates the delicious Johnsonville Italian 4 Cheese sausage.
You know why I choose the 4 cheese variety? When I was a kid, I loved loved loved those hot dogs with the “cheese” inside them. Oh, man I loved those. I used to eat them uncooked. The thought makes my stomach turn these days.
Anyhooooo, here is the recipe. Everyone enjoyed it. It’s easy, full of flavor and it fills you up!
| Creamy Pesto Pasta with 4 cheese Italian Sausage |
- 16 oz Rigatoni, cooked to package directions, reserve 3/4 cup cooked pasta water
- 1 pck. Johnsonville 4 Cheese Italian Sausage
- 15 oz Ricotta Cheese
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon prepared jarred Pesto (5 tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup Kraft Parmesan Cheese
- 5 Basil leaves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
- 1 pint Cherry Tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Salt
- Pepper
- In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese, pesto,parmesan cheese,basil and pasta water. Set aside
- In a large skillet with a lid, cook the sausage per package directions.
- Remove the sausage and set aside. Do not clean out the skillet.
- In the same skillet you cooked the sausage, add the olive oil and onions, cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until the onions become soft.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the tomatoes begin to pop.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Slice the sausage into medallions and add to skillet with the onions, tomatoes and garlic.
- Add the cooked pasta and ricotta mixture. Mix together.
- Sat and pepper to your desired taste.
If the sauce is too thick, you can always add a bit more water.
This looks absolutely perfect for a weeknight dinner. I love Johnsonville!!
Wow, this looks wonderful. Love the idea of a 4 cheese Italian sausage. Bet it would be super on pizza.
I’m a sausage lover – this sounds amazing!!
This is so funny a little over a week ago I entered a Creamy Pesto Pasta with the Johnsonville Four Cheese Sausage on the Johnsonville site. Your Pasta dish looks so yummy I will have to try it.
Hi
Kraft parmesan cheese, are you talking about the grated cheese in the canister.
Yes, that is what I used for this recipe
This really made my stomach start to growl! It looks so good! I love anything pasta related haha. I also didn’t realize that you had so many cooking video’s in your “As Seen on” section! Going to check them all out!