Sausage Pasta with Spicy Harissa Sauce

Name: Sausage Pasta with Spicy Harissa Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: European, Italian, Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 (12-ounce) package orecchiette or small shells pasta; 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided; 12 ounces fresh merguez or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed; 1/2 yellow onion (minced); 1/2 of a red bell pepper (minced); 3 tablespoons spicy harissa (such as Mina), plus more to taste; 1/3 cup dry white wine; 1 pint multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups); 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 cup very thinly sliced zucchini and/or yellow crookneck squash; 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup); honey (for drizzling)

4 steps

Prep:15minCook:30min

Updated at: Tue, 16 Jan 2024 01:34:11 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Unbalanced

Glycemic Index

Low

Glycemic Load

High

Nutrition per serving

Calories531.2 kcal (27%)

Total Fat27.6 g (39%)

Carbs49.7 g (19%)

Sugars6 g (7%)

Protein19.4 g (39%)

Sodium824.1 mg (41%)

Fiber4.3 g (15%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

6 servings

12 ounceorecchiette pasta

or small shells

2 tablespoonsolive oil

divided

12 ouncesmerguez

fresh, or spicy italian sausage, casings removed

0.5yellow onion

minced

0.5red bell pepper

minced

3 tablespoonsspicy harissa

such as, plus more to taste

⅓ cupdry white wine

1 pintmulticolored cherry tomatoes

halved

½ teaspoonkosher salt

plus more to taste

1 cupzucchini

very thinly sliced, or yellow crookneck squash

Instructions

Step 1

Cook pasta in a large pot of generously salted water until very al dente (about 2 minutes less than package directions). Drain pasta, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Set pasta and cooking liquid aside.

Step 2

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add sausage in 1-inch clumps, and cook, undisturbed, until browned on bottom, about 3 minutes. Stir and cook, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drain and discard drippings, reserving cooked sausage and 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.

Step 3

Add remaining 1T oil to the pan. Saute red pepper and onion until they begin to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add harissa to skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add wine, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, cooked pasta, and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid. Cook, stirring constantly, until a creamy sauce forms and coats pasta, about 3 minutes, gradually stirring in remaining 1/4 cup cooking liquid as needed to reach desired consistency. Remove from heat.

Step 4

Scatter sliced squash over pasta. Let stand until squash is slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with harissa and salt to taste. Divide pasta among bowls, and top evenly with honey drizzle and feta.