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One Pot Lemon Basil, Asparagus, and Sausage Pasta. This sausage pasta is made in 30 minutes, uses just one pot, and is a great way to use up that springtime asparagus. It’s made with spicy Italian chicken sausage, packed asparagus, is a touch garlicky, and finished with green olives and fresh basil. Perfect quick-cooking pasta that’s great for both late spring and summer nights. Everyone in the house will enjoy this cozy yet vibrant pasta, and the leftovers the following day are delicious.
The truth? A lot of times I make a recipe with a certain person in mind. It can be a sibling, a friend, anyone really. But I have the most fun creating recipes with others in mind. It allows me to step outside my own zone and think about what the other person would enjoy. It keeps things fun, fresh, and creative for me.
This pasta is a combination of two people and they both have very different flavor pallets. My oldest brother, Creighton, and my sister-in-law, Lyndsie.
Creighton is the person I turn to when I need a good meat-based recipe or something fun, cheesy, and more times than not, extra saucy. Creighton is all about the sauce. He loves his old school favorites like chicken fingers. tater tot casserole, or gyros with extra tzatziki sauce.
Lynd’s on the other hand? She is the complete opposite. Lyndsie loves vegetables and wants everything to be heavy on the herbs. She tosses in out-there ingredients and loves her cheese and lemons. In general, she’s all about vegetable-forward recipes with plenty of flavor and color.
These two could not be more different, yet this pasta is mash-up of what each of them loves most.
The details you need to know about this one pot pasta…
As you might guess, this is pretty simple and straight forward, but I’m throwing in some major flavor throughout.
Start with the pasta. For this particular recipe, I like to boil and drain the pasta first.
While the pasta is boiling, make a quick vinaigrette/sauce. This is the flavor of this pasta. It’s a mix of plenty of fresh basil, chives, and green olives. It’s fresh, a bit tangy, and perfectly salted. The idea is that by the time the pasta is finished boiling, all the other prep work is complete.
If you have a food processor, this makes really quick work of all the chopping and mixing. It creates a more vinaigrette-like sauce that will give your pasta a very pretty green hue. Just a tip, but certainly not needed if you don’t own a food processor.
Once the pasta has been drained, start cooking the spicy Italian chicken sausage in the very same pot you boiled the pasta in. I like to brown the sausage in a little olive before adding the asparagus and garlic. Once the garlic is added, you’ll want to cook a few minutes more, just until that garlic is fragrant.
Next, white wine, just a splash. It’s delicious and adds a nice flavor. Of course, if you prefer not to cook with wine, you can simply use a splash of white vinegar, chicken broth, or vegetable broth. My first choice would be the vinegar, followed by the broth.
Next add the pasta, plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese, and all of the basily olive sauce. Once you add the sauce, your kitchen will immediately smell amazing. Like an Italian grandma’s kitchen in the summer months when she’s cooking with fresh basil from the garden.
It’s a very wonderful smell.
Suggestions, substitutes, and ideas…
If you don’t love asparagus, try using another spring or summer vegetable. I recommend broccoli or zucchini, just something green to preserve the pretty vibrant green color throughout this one pot pasta.
Not a fan of sausage? Well, first I highly recommend giving an Italian chicken sausage a try. It’s spicy, less fatty, and I always find it to have much better flavor in comparison to traditional pork sausage. I like to buy my chicken sausage at Whole Foods from the butcher, but most grocery stores with a butcher will make you fresh chicken sausage if you ask.
And that’s it. Serve this up while it’s warm and every bowl at the table will come back to the sink clean.
Creighton has said this is my best “quarantined” recipe yet. It’s his new favorite…which honestly I was shocked by. This pasta ended up being much more of a Lyndsie food versus a Creighton food. I was worried he wouldn’t even touch this due to the green color. But he loved every last bite and is calling it a new favorite. Who knew he’d love something so green…exciting.
And the best part? This is an easy, flavorful pasta that could not be better for a busy night. Plus the leftovers are great warm or chilled the following day.
Tip? Add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach to boost the greens! Now you basically have pasta salad. So very balanced! Enjoy everyone!
Looking for other one pot recipe? Here are a couple of favorites…
One Pot Creamy Tuscan Pesto and Artichoke Pasta
One Pot 30 Minute Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Bake
Lastly, if you make this one pot lemon basil, asparagus, and sausage pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Pot Lemon Basil, Asparagus, and Sausage Pasta.
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 503 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound short-cut pasta
- 1/4 cup, plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 cup fresh basil, chopped, plus more for serving
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1/2 cup green olives chopped
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 pound ground spicy Italian chicken sausage
- 1 bunch asparagus, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- 1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the pasta to al dente, according to package directions. Drain.2. Meanwhile, mix together 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, chives, and olives in a bowl, or pulse in the food processor. Season with salt and pepper. 3. In the same pot used to cook the pasta, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken sausage and brown all over, about 5 to 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add the asparagus, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes or until the asparagus is tender. Add the wine. Simmer 2-3 minutes, then add the pasta and parmesan, tossing well to coat. 4. Add the basil/olive sauce and toss. Remove from the heat and serve immediately topped with additional basil and parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
To Make Vegetarian: omit the sausage and instead, when adding the shallots, also add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon onion powder, and a pinch each of salt and pepper.
To Replace the Wine: if you prefer not to cook with wine, you can simply use a splash of white vinegar, chicken broth, or vegetable broth. My first choice would be the vinegar, followed by the broth.
So delicious. I was wary about the olives in the sauce but it turned out so good. My son who is a pretty picky eater hates olives and got seconds!
Hey Anna,
I am thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out. Have a great weekend! xTieghan
I’m always looking for a tomato-less pasta and this was perfect! Super easy and light! I used hot chicken sausage, just took it out of the casing and fresh lemons from a neighbors tree. Another HBH recipe that has been requested to be put into rotation 🙂
Hey Lisa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I’ve made this twice now and absolutely love it. My husband thought it was a little heavy on the lemon but I personally loved the amount of lemony taste. The olive/basil sauce is so unique! Highly recommend!
Thank you so much Julie! I am really glad this recipe turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
This dish was delicious!!! I swapped in zucchini and mushrooms and it was just as tasty! My boyfriend said it was his favourite pesto dish so far 🙂
Amazing! Thank you so much Sandy! xTieghan
This meal was fantastic! THANK YOU!!!!!!
Thank you Stephanie! xTieghan
I ended up making this and serving it as a cold pasta dish on a very hot day. It was fantastic! The flavors are so bright and fresh! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Jessica! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Delicious! All the herbs and lemon make it nice and refreshing while also being super filling.
Thank you so much Nicole!! xTieghan
Im wondering if I can make this with pork sausage. Would it change the flavor too much?
Hey Betsey,
Pork sausage would be totally fine to use here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
LOVED this. Super fresh and light for an end of summer supper. And SO easy to throw together after work.
Amazing!! I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Lauren! xTieghan
Hey there- where are the shallots in this recipe? 🙂
Hey Ashley,
This recipe does not require shallots unless making vegetarian, the instructions are in the recipe notes. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Had a question about replacing the white wine with vinegar. Should I be using a 1/4 cup vinegar since the recipe calls for a 1/4 cup white wine? In the notes it says a “splash” of vinegar to replace the wine so I wasn’t sure if that meant use the same amount as the recipe calls for or literally just a splash. Love your recipes!!! Thank you!
Hey Krys,
The vinegar is much more potent, so I would just use a splash. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I substituted capers for olives (hubby and I aren’t big olive fans) and added a bit of ricotta cheese (didn’t have enough parmesan cheese). I used a blend of basil and lemon basil to accentuate the citrus notes. It turned out to be a beautiful dish! Thanks for posting this recipe. It will definitely be a repeat for us!!!
Thank you so much Jessica! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Wonderful dish. Perfect summery, light, zesty entree for a hot summer evening. Goes great with Albariño wine. Also I used Italian seasoned ground turkey and it was great.
Thank you so much Joseph! xTieghan
Thinking of serving this for company just not sure what to serve with it. Any suggestions? No ac here means I’m trying to not use the oven. Thanks! It looks so good!
Hey Marisol,
I would serve this on it’s own maybe with some rustic bread and a big salad! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delish! I used crumbled goat cheese instead of Parmesan and hot Italian pork sausage (store didn’t have chicken sausage) and this recipe delivered! Thank you!
Thank you so much Asha! I am so glad this turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan