Tasty Tuesday: Autumn Pasta with Sausage and Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Last week I shared a recipe that wasn't very seasonally appropriate. This week I'm doing the complete opposite.

The meal I'm posting today just screams autumn. It features chicken apple sausage cooked in apple cider as well as a delicious sage brown butter sauce. If these flavors don't make you think of fall, I don't know what will. (Besides pumpkin, of course.)

It's not just seasonally appropriate, though ... It's also delicious. And while it may not help you keep those holiday pounds at bay, it's worth the splurge.



Unfortunately, it's not a meal that photographs well. I mean, it's basically a plate of brown stuff. But that brown stuff? So good.

One last thing before I post the recipe. Despite the terrible picture, I'm actually really proud of this meal. I used a sage brown butter sauce recipe as sort of a guideline, but I came up with the idea of cooking an apple sausage in apple cider to incorporate additional fall flavors into the recipe. A lot of the things I post here are recipes I've simply tweaked a bit, so I feel really excited when I can share something I put a little more thought into!

Autumn Pasta with Sausage and Sage Brown Butter Sauce

Adapted from a recipe on Fork Knife Swoon.

Ingredient List:

• 1 box spaghetti noodles (I used a 13.25 oz. box of whole wheat noodles, which didn't really help with the whole "brown stuff on a plate" thing. You could really use whatever type of noodle you prefer, though.)
• 2 links chicken apple sausage, casings removed and crumbled (I know for sure that you can find this type of sausage at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods, but you can probably find it at other grocery stores as well.)
• 1 tbsp apple cider
• 10 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 garlic cloves (or, if you're lazy like me, the equivalent of jarred, pre-minced garlic)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Shredded Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions:

1.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 

2.  Add the crumbled chicken apple sausage and apple cider to a medium skillet. Cook over medium high heat until the sausage is completely browned and no liquid remains. Once the sausage is fully cooked, turn the heat down to low to keep the meat warm while the rest of the sauce is being made.

3.  Melt the butter in a separate large skillet over medium heat.

4.  While the butter is melting, add the spaghetti to the boiling water, cook according to package directions until al dente, and drain.

5.  When the butter completely melts and begins to foam, begin whisking. Add the sage, thyme, nutmeg, and garlic, whisking continuously. The butter should begin to bubble and turn golden brown after about 5-8 minutes of cooking. 

6.  Once the butter begins to brown, remove the skillet from the heat. Whisk for another minute or two, then pour the drained noodles into the skillet and toss with the sauce.

7.  Add the chicken apple sausage and season with the sea salt and black pepper, tossing a few more times to combine. Top with shredded Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Like I said, this isn't the healthiest recipe in the world. But it is tasty, and a great way to incorporate some of the best flavors of fall in one delicious dish!