Pesto with Chicken Sausage and Brussel Sprouts

Next time you make pesto pasta, save some of the pesto. It freezes great! Just thaw and use in this recipe and it's DELICIOUS!

Pesto with Chicken Sausage and Brussel Sprouts
1 lb fresh brussel sprouts, ends trimmed and any yellowed/browned outer leaves removed, then sliced in half
3 T olive oil, divided
1/2 t sea salt
1/2 t freshly-ground black pepper
1 lb rice pasta
4 chicken sausage links (I used the hormone-free ones from Publix)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
Fresh pesto, store bought or HOMEMADE (EVEN BETTER!)
Parmesan cheese, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together brussel sprouts, 2 T olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently stir until well-combined. Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then spread the brussels sprouts on it evenly. Roast for about 20 minutes, stirring once partway through, or until they are crispy on the outside and cooked on the inside. Remove from oven and set aside. 

Meanwhile, remove sausage from casings. Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage into crumbles. Cook until browned and very fragrant. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for another 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water (reserving 1/4 cup pasta water), and then toss together the pasta, pesto, cooked sausage and garlic, and brussels sprouts. Add in some of the reserved pasta water if needed for extra moisture. 

Serve warm, and sprinkle with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.