Italian Sausage and Broccolini Pasta with Lemon Cream

Ingredients

• 8 ounces penne pasta (gluten-free if needed)
• 10 ounce broccolini (cut in half)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 8 ounces ground Italian pork sausage (mild, see notes)
• crushed red pepper flakes
• fresh parsley (minced)
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion (finely diced)
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 ounces cream cheese (cut into small cubes)
• 2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil: Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add a generous amount of salt. Add the penne. Cook for 4 minutes less than what is on the box. Add the broccolini and cook until fork tender the pasta is al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain.

2. 2

   Brown: While the water is boiling, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Brown the sausage, stirring occasionally until the chunks are broken up. Transfer the sausage to a plate. Drain the grease from the pan but don't wash.

3. 3

   Saute: Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes until tender. Add the garlic and lemon zest.

4. 4

   Melt: Slowly stir in the heavy cream, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the cubed cream cheese and stir until melted.

5. 5

   Juice: Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Add in the lemon juice. Add the pasta water, if needed, to thin the sauce.

6. 6

   Assemble: Stir in the cooked sausage, pasta, and broccolini. Gently toss to coat.

7. 7

   Garnish: Season to taste and garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes