Baked Feta with Roasted Tomatoes and Turkey Italian Sausage

Baked Feta with Roasted Tomatoes and Italian Turkey Sausage

NOTE This dish is has a little bit of everything Italian and one could  find something they love.  Bathed in creamy feta, the sausage and vegetables come alive with flavor.  Serve as a main entree with Italian salad and crusty Italian bread.  

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
  • 1 (8-ounce) package cherry tomatoes
  • 1 (8-ounce) container creamy feta cheese in brine
  • 1/3 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 4 links Italian Turkey or Chicken Sausage
  • 2 large cloves garlic, chopped fine
  • 12 spears asparagus, chopped until no longer tender
  • 1 cup button mushrooms, halved
  • 1 red bell pepper, julienne sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  •  1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  •  1/3 cup olive oil
  •  1/2 cup pasta water
 
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  •  Parmesan cheese
  • Chopped basil for garnish
Cuisine: Italian
Yield: 6 to 8 Servings
Rating:
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Instructions:

  1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.   Add 1 tablespoon salt to an 8-quart pot of water for boiling pasta, and turn heat to medium -high.   Place tomatoes, feta, chopped basil and olive oil in a 3-quart heavy oven-treated pot.   Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes.  Break feta up mid-way of baking if needed.   Remove from oven when done  and set aside.
  2.  Add the farfalle pasta to the boiling water and cook for 13 to 16 minutes, keeping pasta al denté While pasta is cooking, place olive oil in large fry-pan and add the Italian sausage.  Cook for about 10 minutes, turning sausage once or twice.  As the sausage cooks, cut the links into small pieces.  Add the garlic, asparagus, and mushrooms, and red bell pepper.  Continue to saute the vegetables right along with the sausage, another 5 minutes or so.  Add the red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
  3.   Next, add the roasted tomatoes and feta to the turkey sausage mixture and mix together well.  Fold in the Parmesan cheese.  When pasta is al dentè, remove the pasta with a spaghetti spoon into a large pasta bowl.  To the pasta, add 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 cup hot pasta water, and the tomato/feta/sausage mixture.  Stir the dish well.  Sprinkle course salt and pepper over the top.  Add Parmesan cheese to taste, and garnish with chopped fresh basil.  Serves 8