By Sharon Chen 
Any night you have a hungry family waiting for dinner, it’s a smart plan to go to a simple, filling and satisfying pasta recipe. But that doesn’t mean you have to make the basic spaghetti with tomato sauce every time. This is a recipe for a comforting, flavorful Alfredo pasta dish, but instead of doing the same old chicken Alfredo, I added the savory, earthy flavors of sausage, leeks and mushrooms. It’s something that can appeal to the whole family.
This meal is quick and easy to make, and you only need a few ingredients. Some you’ll already have on hand – think olive oil, pasta and white wine (who doesn’t have that?!). The fresh produce, such as a leek and fresh parsley, is great to get at your local farmer’s market if you can, and you could add amazing sausage from your butcher. Or, it’s easy to find these ingredients in your supermarket.
Really, this is just a simple pasta dish that you’re livening up and making impressive with your sauce. You cook the pasta just like you would on any other day. All you have to focus on is slicing, shredding and other simple prep work. This family-friendly meal only takes a half hour from start to finish – including cooking time! – so you’ll have it in front of your salivating kids in no time.
When you want to mix up your weeknights with other easy pasta-based dishes that keep your family interested, try Skillet Meatball Goulash; Chickpea, Tomato and Basil Pasta; or One-Pot Pasta E Fagioli.
I think the pop of color from the garnish of fresh parsley looks amazing when this Alfredo pasta dish is plated. Between the look and the aroma of the combined ingredients, I always want to dig right in until it’s all gone. I hope your family gets just as excited about this dish.
Plus, this recipe gives you a healthy meal with baby portabella mushrooms, leeks, parsley and olive oil. Portabella mushrooms are a rich source of Folate, potassium and additional nutrients, while leeks offer lots of vitamin K, manganese and a variety of other vitamins and minerals. You also gain healthy fats from the olive oil, and the parsley provides a ton of vitamin K and bunches of vitamin C and other nutrients.
If you have fussy family members, you could easily switch vegetables for ones they would prefer over leeks and mushrooms. You could even go back to the standard chicken instead of sausage. It’s easy to switch out certain ingredients while sticking to the basic recipe.
I hope you enjoy this hearty and healthy meal whenever your family wants a satisfying comfort food quickly!
Sausage Mushroom Alfredo Pasta
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes | Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces Rigatoni pasta
- 1 large leek, coarsely sliced
- 8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 links mild Italian sausage, about 8 ounces
- 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
- 1 (15-ounce) jar roasted garlic Alfredo sauce
- 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, chop leek and mushrooms.
- Cook pasta according to the package instructions. In the meantime, remove sausage casing by cutting the links in half (butterfly); wash hands.
- In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown 3-4 minutes, stirring to crumble the meat until no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside. When the pasta is done, drain and set aside.
- In the same sauté pan, add the other tablespoon olive oil. Sauté leeks and mushrooms over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
- Stir in wine and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the wine is evaporated by about one-half.
- Stir in Alfredo sauce; bring to a simmer. Add cheese into the sauce; whisk until melted. Stir in the pasta and the sausage; cook and stir for about a minute.
- Dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
- • 8 ounces Rigatoni pasta
- • 1 large leek, coarsely sliced
- • 8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
- • 2 links mild Italian sausage, about 8 ounces
- • 2 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- • 1/2 cup white wine (or chicken broth)
- • 1 (15-ounce) jar roasted garlic Alfredo sauce
- • 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, chop leek and mushrooms.
- 2. Cook pasta according to the package instructions. In the meantime, remove sausage casing by cutting the links in half (butterfly); wash hands.
- 3. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and brown 3-4 minutes, stirring to crumble the meat until no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside. When the pasta is done, drain and set aside.
- 4. In the same sauté pan, add the other tablespoon olive oil. Sauté leeks and mushrooms over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes or until tender.
- 5. Stir in wine and reduce heat to medium-low; simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the wine is evaporated by about one-half.
- 6. Stir in Alfredo sauce; bring to a simmer. Add cheese into the sauce; whisk until melted. Stir in the pasta and the sausage; cook and stir for about a minute.
- 7. Dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
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