Need a new weeknight dinner idea? This vegetarian sausage and broccoli pasta recipe is our new favorite around here. In case you didn’t know I’ve been a vegetarian for 10+ years. I’ll talk about that a little more below, but I’m constantly trying recipes both Cory and I can enjoy together. This pasta dish was a winner and we’ll definitely be making this recipe again soon. Scroll down to get the recipe for this vegetarian sausage + broccoli pasta.
Did You Know I’m a Vegetarian?
I’ve been a vegetarian for 10+ years now. I often get asked a ton of questions as a vegetarian like: “why?” “Do you still eat fish?” “Do you miss eating meat?” Do you still eat dairy?” When I moved to Chicago over 10 years ago I was living on my own for the first time and really wasn’t cooking meat or eating meat frequently. I tried avoiding meat for a week, then two weeks and then a month. It was honestly the easiest thing for me to transition to this lifestyle of not eating meat. I never really enjoyed meat growing up, so again this was an easy lifestyle change that made sense for me. Are there days that I miss eating meat? To be honest…no.
To clarify I’m not vegan so I still eat dairy products like cheese and eggs. I also eat a lot of fish (salmon is my favorite) so technically I’m a pescatarian – vegetarian that eats fish. Cory is not a vegetarian, but we typically have vegetarian meals at home or Cory will cook some type of meat on the side. I’m always on the lookout for new recipes that we can enjoy together and this pasta dish is one of our favorites.
Vegetarian Sausage & Broccoli Pasta
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Pasta I used Cellentani pasta
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Vegetarian Italian Sausages I used Beyond Meat Italian Sausage
- 1 Garlic Clove Minced
- 1/2 Shallot Chopped
- 1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
- 1 Medium Broccoli Crown Cut the broccoli into bite sized florets
- 1 Lemon Zest and juice
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese Freshly grated
- 2-4 leaves Fresh Basil Chopped
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Once the water is boiling add your desired pasta and cook as directed on the box.
- In a large saucepan heat up 1-2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Add the vegetarian sausages and break up the meat with a spatula. Allow to cook for 2-4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and shallot to the vegetarian sausage. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, broccoli, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 2-4 minutes.
- Add the butter, basil, lemon juice and lemon zest.
- Add the pasta to the saucepan with the vegetarian sausage and broccoli. Add most of the parmesan cheese (reserve some for the topping). Stir to combine and serve.
Vegetarian Sausage + Broccoli Pasta
I used these Beyond Meat Hot Italian Sausages to make this pasta dish. I’m a huge fan of these sausages, but you can use whatever type of vegetarian or meat product you prefer for this dish. I love the spicy flavor from the sausage and the additional red pepper flakes in this pasta. You can obviously adjust the spice level to whatever you like.
If you like this pasta recipe, check out this orecchiette with broccoli rabe. Cory and I also really enjoy this pasta dish for a weeknight meal. Please leave a comment below if you make this recipe and let me know what you think!
Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.my family loved it.will be sharing this recipe with my friends.they will like it.