Happy Wednesday! 
In honor of WIAW, I want to share a delicious pasta recipe that I made last night!
Spicy Parmesan Pasta with Chicken Sausage
(Adapted from this recipe)
Serves 5-6
Ingredients:
- 14.5 ounce package of whole-wheat bowtie pasta
- 1 pint heavy cream
- 4 tbsp. butter plus 1.5 tbsp. butter
- 2 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust more or less, depending on how spicy you like your food!)
- 1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
- about half of an 8 oz. container of sundried tomatoes, chopped (I would have used even more, but Brandon isn’t a huge fan of sundried tomatoes!)
- 12 oz. package of chicken sausage, chopped into bite-size pieces (you could also use cooked chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces)
Directions:
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and set to the side.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare your sauce. Melt 4 tbsp. butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add cream, salt, and pepper. Stir for a few minutes. Once the mixture starts boiling, remove it from the heat and add the parmesan cheese and cayenne pepper. Stir together.
- In another sauté pan, brown your chicken sausage over medium heat. It’s already cooked, so you’re just trying to get it warmed up. Once it’s heated through, put all of the sausage into a bowl and set to the side.
- In that same pan, melt the remaining 1.5 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add the sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts and stir. After another minute, add the chicken sausage and about half of the sauce. Stir together.
- Add the pasta and remaining sauce to the pan. Stir together. Serve and enjoy!
This dish has cream, butter, and cheese.
Clearly it isn’t going to win any awards for “healthiest meal of the year.”
But who cares, when it’s so darn tasty?! 
This is a meal meant to be enjoyed every now and then. Not every night. But we sure did enjoy it, and I hope you do, as well!
Question for ya …
Best thing you’ve eaten this week?
What is one of your favorite “treat” meals?
January 30, 2013
Posted in Food, Recipes
HAHA! YES! Great minds do think alike!
This is too funny!! Isn’t the dish awesome?! I really do swear by the ‘healthier’ version too…although I never tried the ‘real’ thing….but it does look SO tasty, and more creamy. YUM! 
PS: Still CANNOT wait to see the nursery!!!!
Holly recently posted..Skinny Bowtie Cheesy Pasta with Chicken Sausage
This looks so yummy! It is hard to pass up pasta, butter, and cream..
would make the perfect dinner splurge!
Jana @ Happy Wife Healthy Life recently posted..WIAW: Just Another Manic Monday
Oooooooh my goodness. This looks so freaking creamy and cheesy. And I literally JUST bought some chicken sausage and dont know what to do with it!
Kat recently posted..WIAW Snack Attack
This looks fantastic! I could go for a bowl right now … even though it’s only 10 AM. =)
amy @ fearless homemaker recently posted..Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bars
yep this is for sure going into one of my recipes to make. Hopefully sooner than later!!
Think turkey sausage would work just as well?
Cinnamon @ eatpraytri recently posted..WIA {while in San Diego} W
Oh, I’m sure. And like I said, I think regular chicken would also be good. The leftovers were also quite tasty today!
My mouth waters just LOOKING at that picture. It looks very “high end restaurant” dish with how creamy it is. Perfect comfort food
On my way over for some dinner… hope you have leftovers
Jessie recently posted..Thankful Thursday