Gluten Free Sausage, Tomato, and Mozzarella Pasta
Go from stovetop to dinner table in just 30 minutes with my satisfyingly simple and delicious Gluten Free Sausage, Tomato, and Mozzarella Pasta. Featuring fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, spicy and sweet Italian sausage, and few pantry staples this recipe is a home run for weeknight meals.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups gluten free elbow pasta such as Barilla Gluten Free Pasta Elbows
- 2 Italian sausage links, 1 mild and 1 sweet casings removed
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt plus more for salting pasta water
- 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
- 8 ounce container mozzarella pearls drained (see recipe note)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil optional
Instructions
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. (Remember, gluten free pasta has a shorter cooking time than regular pasta!)
- Meanwhile, in a large pot or sauté pan, cook the sausage over medium high heat, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon.
- Once the sausage is brown and caramelized, add the halved cherry tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Continue cooking over medium high heat until the tomatoes start to burst and break down, about 5-10 minutes. You can help them along with the back of a spoon, but be careful they don’t burst on you. They’re hot and it hurts!
- Add the garlic, remaining 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 ½ teaspoons of pepper, and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Off the heat, add the pasta and mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with chopped basil if desired. Serve immediately.Pasta can be stored in an airtight refrigerator safe container for 3-5 days.
Notes
- If your grocery store doesn’t sell mozzarella pearls, an 8 ounce ball of mozzarella will work too, just add a few minutes of prep time to dice up the cheese.
- To make this vegetarian, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot or sauté pan and immediately add the tomatoes. Follow remaining recipe instructions, but add ½ teaspoon of dried oregano and dried basil when you add the garlic. I always make a vegetarian version when my mom is and it’s a hit every time!
- If you’re not a fan of Italian sausage, can’t eat pork, or want a lighter version, you could always substitute Italian seasoned chicken sausage or about 1/2 pound ground turkey. Simply add 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and basil and about 1/4 teaspoon of fennel seeds to the ground turkey.