Healthy Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

I’m trying to go dairy-free. I know, seems like torture.

But honestly, it’s easier than I thought! I’m breastfeeding Asa now and even though he doesn’t seem to have any dairy allergies, I have read a few articles about how dairy can affect a baby’s digestive system. So, I’m giving it a try!

The other day we had some Italian sausage in the fridge that was about to expire, so I decided to throw together a quick pasta dish and OH MY-LANTA! Did I create a new menu staple.

All of the kids love this dish, which in my book is a huge win. I’ve now made this 3 times in the last two weeks so I thought I would share it with you.

Let me know if you give it a try!

Healthy Sausage and Broccoli Pasta

Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4-6
Cleanup: Easy
Kid-friendly: YES!

Ingredients:

• 1 box rigatoni pasta
• 1 cup broccoli florets diced small
• 1 lb. Italian Sausage
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• fresh basil
• crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to box, add cut up broccoli florets during the last 2 minutes of the pasta boiling
2. Drain (make sure to keep 3 tablespoons of pasta water!)
3. Sprinkle a skillet with olive oil, brown sugar and minced garlic
4. Cook Italian sausage in skillet until brown (I like to chop ours up into really small bites)
5. While pasta and sausage is cooking, mix olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup, pasta water and basil together
6. In large pasta pot, mix all of the ingredients together, add Parmesan cheese if desired
7. Season with crushed red pepper and serve hot!