This 15 minute dinner is something everyone will love. Simple ingredients for the picky eaters and minimal prep and cooking for the tired parents! We love this recipe in our house!
I think an ideal meal in the summer can be served at room temperature or even cool. This meal gets better as it cools since it lets the tomatoes, basil and mozzarella pearls shine!
I always grab a pack of chicken sausage at the store because they cook in 2 minutes and have tons of flavor.
You can pick whichever brand or flavor you want. Some of my favorites are mozzarella tomato and pesto Romano or if you want it spicy- the chorizo chicken sausage adds a bit of bite! We like the belinski or organics brands because they're a little lower in fat and have great flavors but I've also enjoyed the Trader Joe's and Dietz and Watson varieties.
I love the little mozzarella pearls in this recipe! It even takes out the prep of chopping cheese!
Summer is a great time to hit up the farmers market for all the fresh tomatoes and basil.
Fresh and colorful flavors make this a summer hit!
Caprese Chicken Sausage with Spaghetti & Zoodles
4 Servings | Cook time: 15 minutes
Notes: any chicken sausage flavor would be delicious but I specifically love the mozzarella tomato and pesto Romano flavors by Belinski’s. If you don’t like chicken sausage, sub for regular chicken!
Ingredients:
6 oz whole grain thin spaghetti
2 medium-large zucchini, spiraled (~800g)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large shallot, minced
4 oz mozzarella pearls
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 large vine ripened or heirloom tomatoes (~200g)
8-10 links chicken sausage (mozzarella tomato or pesto romano are my favorites), sliced
1/2 cup fresh basil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Directions:
Spiralize the zucchini. Place zucchini in a steamer basket over a medium pot of water. Bring the pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, remove the zucchini and set aside.
Liberally salt the boiling water and stir in spaghetti. Undercook the spaghetti by about 1 minute from box directions.
While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in large skillet/pot. Add Diced tomatoes, garlic and shallots to sauté. After about 2 minutes, add zucchini to the pan. Use tongs to toss zucchini in olive oil and tomatoes. Cook zucchini, about 3-5 minutes, tossing occasionally, allowing the excess water to be removed.
Slice the chicken sausage into 1/2” slices and add to the skillet. Season everything with salt and pepper.
Once the pasta is just about cooked, strain, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water. Add the strained pasta to the pot using tongs to toss everything together. Add 1/4 cup reserved pasta water. If needed, add the remaining 1/4 cup.
Transfer the contents of the pot to a serving dish. Fold in mozzarella pearls and fresh basil.
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Nutrition Facts are provided as a guideline only. Exact nutrition will depend on quantity, brand and ingredients used.
