Pesto Orecchiette Italian Sausage Pasta

Recipe adapted from: RealSimple

Pesto Orecchiette Italian Sausage Pasta

Serves 4| Hands-On Time: 30 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 12 ounces orecchiette
• 1 steamfresh bag of green beans or 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 steamfresh bag of english peas or 1 cup frozen peas
• 5-6 Italian sausage links, bite sized slices.
• 1 small jar pesto or 1/3 cup pesto
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Place sausage in small, oven-safe dish with enough water to cover the bottom of the dish. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil. Bake for 30 more minutes.
3. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. If using fresh green beans and frozen peas, add the green beans and peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking. If using steamfresh vegetables, heat as directed, then add to cooked pasta. Drain the pasta and vegetables and return them to the pot. 
4. Cut the sausage in to bite sized pieces. 
5. Add the sausage, pesto, and Parmesan to the pasta and vegetables and toss to combine.