Fusilli with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce and Italian “Sausage”

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Yes, people, it’s Lightlife Friday again! And I’m featuring two dishes this week. I was craving comfort food, despite it being in the 90s here for almost a week now. I think it’s because every establishment I go into has the AC cranked up so high that it feels like winter. So, I made a lighter version of mac and cheese with the Lightlife Italian “sausage” and a sun-dried tomato cream sauce. ***A word of caution–be careful with your salt. There’s salt in the cheese, in the sausage, and … potentially in your sub-dried tomatoes. I learned this the hard way. I’m used to getting sun-dried tomatoes sans salt. So, I seasoned along the way as I was cooking–like I always do. At the end, the dish was saltier than I prefer and I couldn’t figure out why. Then I went to my package of sun-dried tomatoes…. The culprit! I had succeeded in getting tomatoes without sulfur dioxide, but not without salt. Sigh.

I made a quiche with the other two Italian sausage links. It also contained broccoli, cheese, onions, and corn (corn in quiche is pretty delicious… you have to try it!).

Before I get to the pasta recipe, I also wanted to share the name of a movie I recently watched and loved. It’s called The Quantum Activist and is a documentary about Amit Goswami. If you’re into the whole quantum physics–consciousness thing, I highly recommend. And if you “just” want to make the world a better place, I highly recommend. O.K., I hope you all have GREAT, LONG weekends! Now, onto the pasta!

Fusilli with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce and Italian “Sausage” (Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:

Lightlife Smart Sausages Italian Style

3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

2 1/2 cups milk (I used almond)

1 cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes*** (see above comment re: sun-dried tomatoes)

1/4 small onion–finely chopped

2 cloves–minced

1 teaspoon Earth Balance (or butter)

1 cup cheese (I used a mozzarella & asiago blend)

1/3 cup goat cheese–crumbled

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups dry fusilli

lots of water

salt, white pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh herbs

Method:

*Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

*The Sausage: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add sausage links. Brown on each side for 1 minute. Cover the frying pan with a lid. Turn heat down to medium low. Cook sausages for approximately 5 minutes, turning occasionally. Set aside.

*The Pasta: In a large stock pot, bring a few quarts of water to boil. Add a large pinch of salt. Once boiling, add dry pasta. Cook the pasta until it reaches the stage just before al dente (this pasta is baked, do not overcook or you’ll get mushy pasta). Drain, add to 9″ x 9″ baking dish, mix with Earth Balance, and set aside.

*The Sauce: Add milk and sun-dried tomatoes to small saucepan. Heat over low heat. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat. Add onion. Saute until soft. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute 5 minutes. Once onion and garlic are soft, stir in flour to create a blond roux. Whisk warm milk/sun-dried tomatoes into the roux mixture. Stir in cheese (except the goat cheese). Stir until the sauce thickens slightly (~ 2-3 minutes).

*The Assembly: Add sauce to pasta. Mix thoroughly. Add goat cheese to the top of the pasta. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly. Remove foil. Bake 20 minutes or until goat cheese just starts to toast. Serve with sliced sausage and fresh herbs. (I also had steamed broccoli with it, which was awesome!).

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Tiffany M. Griffin is the woman behind Como Water, Washington DC’s premiere veg-centric cuisine consulting company. Through cooking classes, demonstrations, catering, and consultations, Como Water gives people the opportunity to learn how to prepare veg-centric cuisine that boasts maximum flavor, with minimal effort. Tiffany is quickly becoming a go-to expert on the future of veg-centric cuisine, and is a regular contributor to Como Water, the blog, as well as to vegetarian and vegan sites across the Internet. For over a decade, this self-taught, entrepreneurial expert has developed a set of tried and true techniques for making simple, delicious, and sometimes decadent veg-centric dishes. Featured on the Steve Harvey Show and other leading media outlets, Tiffany was born and raised in Springfield, MA. She then earned Bachelors degrees in Psychology and Communications from Boston College and a PhD in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan. She now resides in Washington DC, where she has worked in the US Senate and at a federal agency on issues around health, food, nutrition, and international food aid/development, and of course, as the owner of Como Water. Tiffany gets culinary inspiration from the food she grew up eating, and from her travels throughout Latin America, the Caribbean, Western Europe, and Sub-Saharan Africa. She is dedicated to sharing her wealth of knowledge on veg-centric cuisine with others and to help others live by her mantra—love life, live long, and eat veg-centric cuisine!

Comments

  1. I haven’t braved the faux red meats/sausages yet… I totally trust you after trying the chicken strips this week though! I grilled those last night and loved them. 🙂

    The quiche looks amazing – it’s been way too long since I’ve had one.

  2. YUM, yum! Two fabulous dishes…I love the idea of corn in quiche…and that pasta looks amazing (though I’d have to make a carnivore version). Happy weekend, Tiffany!

  3. SO yummy! Two fabulous dishes…I love the idea of corn in quiche…and that pasta looks amazing (though I’d have to make a carnivore version). Happy weekend, Tiffany!

  4. This looks fantastic. Now to convince my wife that goats cheese does not smell like dirty socks, so I can get her to eat it.

  5. Oh, this recipe looks so delishh!!! You are so good at photography. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

  6. Those sneaky sun dried tomatoes! Eh, what’s a little extra salt anyway when you’re rocking a dish like that. Sooooo good. Thanks for sharing 🙂

  7. Ooh I love that you used Almond milk in this! I need to try this, I often dont do cream sauces cause its too much for my stomach to handle.

  8. Sausages (real and not so “real) are one of my fave foods. This looks great. Thanks so much for sharing.
    ceecee

  9. Tiffany, this looks lovely! I’m up for sun-dried tomatoes and cheese any time! Have a nice weekend 🙂

  10. Okay, both dishes are seriously gorgeous. I can understand wanting comfort food in the heat…I used to live in Phoenix, AZ, and I would get so chilled in the AC, at school, in the mall, wherever I went. I actually got colds more often in summer than in winter!

  11. flavourful dish looks wonderful

  12. YUM! I love the dish, looks like it has a lot of great flavors going on in it!

  13. I love sundried tomatoes in pasta sauces, the sausage sounds great with it too! I know what you mean about the air con I hate it when you’re freezing cold in a shop and then it’s boiling outside, so not good for you!

  14. Mmmm…that cream sauce looks like it would tickle the taste buds. I like the mix of cheeses as well.

  15. Oh goodness. Both recipes look incredible. The quiche look absolutely divine

  16. Mmm, that pasta looks great! And I’m jealous of your 90 degree weather, mind sending some of that my way?

  17. Yum yum..your fusilli looks so Italian and comforting! And yes, I do love corn in quiches!

  18. You know…pasta is my favorite meal. But I especially love a tomato cream sauce! Both of your posts look soooo delish! : )

  19. Drool alert…~Slurp!~ … Perfect! Now I am hungry for both of those!

  20. Delicious looking dishes here!!! I love both! I’ve never ever put corn in a quiche and I don’t even know why??? I LOVE corn and yet I have never thought of adding it to

  21. Delicious looking dishes here!!! I love both! I’ve never ever put corn in a quiche and I don’t even know why??? I LOVE corn and yet I have never thought of adding it to a quiche!! I must try it next time! Thanks for the great ideas Tiff! 🙂

  22. That pasta looks so delicious. I am a sucker for anything with pasta and cheese!

  23. This pasta sounds delicious! I have tried this brand of sausage and it is pretty good! The sundried tomatoes are a nice addition to this dish!

  24. I will have to check out that movie…this dish would make you a Queen in my household! Seriously right up my kids food loving alley, especial with a veg mom, lol
    Hope your weekend was amazing

  25. I’m catching up on reading your post…and sorry it’s late to comment here. I love sun dried tomatoes ever since I tasted during my home staying in an American home (back in high school). I never had it until then and it’s not very common ingredients to use for Japanese cooking (I think we can buy those from import stores). How lucky I’m here and it’s so easy to get sun dried tomato (such a common ingredient too!). I love your recipe and definitely a keeper. Excited to try!

  26. Thanks for the comments everyone!

  27. I eat meat but I love a good substitute, (who needs to eat it every day? I mean, really!) and this sausage dish would totally hit the spot. Nice!

  28. Both these dishes are lovely! have a great weekend.