I have been reminiscing about the delicious sausage I once had at a relief sale a long time ago. A “relief” sale means the proceeds go help people in need around the world (this relief sale was for Mennonite Central Committee). The sausages were made by local people who were involved in the sale. I had just came from Bangladesh and had never eaten sausage before. It was so good that I kept going back for extra servings — it was an all-you-can-eat affair!

These memories inspired me to make today’s dish with sausage. I decided to combine it with some cooked pasta and fresh arugula that I had on hand. Arugula (also known as Rocket) is a peppery, pungent, leafy green that pairs really well with pasta dishes in my opinion. If you add smoked sausage to the mix, you will have a fantastic dinner in no time!

Pasta dishes are generally easy to make and popular with most people in any family. Since I came to the United States I have noticed that the quality of pasta available in grocery stores has improved over time. Even top quality pastas are not that expensive either.

If you want this dish to be gluten free, you can substitute a gluten-free pasta (such as from Barilla) and gluten-free sausage for what I use below.

This is one-pot magic in our household. You can have this on your table in less than 30 minutes!

Ingredients

• 1/2 box or 1/2 lbs. ziti or penne pasta, cooked
• 1/2 cup red onion, small diced
• 2 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 1/2 bag (3.5 oz) baby arugula
• 14 oz smoked sausage, cut into half moon slices
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, torn in half if too large
• 1 tbsp basil oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Instructions

Heat 1 tbsp of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add sausages and cook until lightly browned around the edges.

Remove cooked sausage from the skillet, leaving as much oil as you can.

Add garlic to the pan. Cook for 30 seconds. Add onion. Cook for minute or two until onions are soft.

Add pasta, chili flakes, and salt. Stir the ingredients well.

Add arugula and sausage to the pasta. Stir. Cook for a minute or two.

Stir in the fresh basil, 1/2 cup cheese, and 1 tbs of basil oil.

Give it a good stir. Once the arugula wilts, turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the stove. Taste for seasoning.

Divide the pasta into 4 serving bowls and sprinkle rest of the Parmesan cheese over the pasta.

Serves 4

Did you make this dish? I’d love to know how it turns out! Feel free to like this post and comment or use the hashtag #globaldinein on Instagram.