Sticky Honey Garlic Sausage Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Juicy sausage and penne tossed in a rich honey garlic sauce

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 14 oz smoked sausage, sliced

→ Pantry

02 - 9 oz penne or fusilli pasta (dry)
03 - 2 tbsp olive oil
04 - 2 tbsp soy sauce
05 - 3 tbsp honey
06 - 2 tbsp tomato paste

→ Aromatics

07 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

→ Liquids

09 - 1 ½ cups chicken broth

→ Herbs & Spices

10 - 1 tsp dried chili flakes (optional)
11 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

# How-To Guide:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes until caramelized.
03 - Add onion to the skillet and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, and tomato paste. Stir to combine, scraping any browned bits from the skillet. Bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Return cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to coat evenly in the sauce. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and clings to the pasta.
06 - Season with chili flakes and black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and sprinkle with fresh parsley before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce transforms into this glossy, finger licking coating that makes everything taste like restaurant food
  • Its ready in 35 minutes but tastes like something that simmered all afternoon
  • The sweet and savory balance hits every craving corner in one bite
02 -
  • Undercook your pasta by about two minutes, because the residual heat will finish it while it soaks up that sauce
  • Tomato paste can taste raw if you skip cooking it with the other ingredients, so let it simmer in the broth for at least two minutes
  • The sauce will seem thin at first, but trust the process as it reduces and that honey works its magic
03 -
  • Use a microplane or garlic press for the garlic so it nearly dissolves into the sauce instead of leaving chunks
  • Let the sausage get really brown and almost crispy before removing it, because that texture is magical against the tender pasta

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