Pesto Orecchiette

This is one of the better pasta dishes I've made in a long time!  It was really delicious and super easy. I'm not even sure where I originally found this, but the recipe is on the Real Simple website.  The original one calls for frozen peas, but apparently I was out of those...and didn't realize that until I was halfway into making this!  I did have some frozen okra, so I used that - and loved it!  What a fun twist!

Pesto Orecchiette With Chicken Sausage

Ingredients

• 12 ounces orecchiette
• 1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen okra
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 ounces fully cooked Italian-style chicken sausage links, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup pesto (I didn't really measure this, just used 3-4 spoonfuls) 
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, adding the green beans and peas during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and vegetables and return them to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Add the sausage, pesto, Parmesan, and ½ cup of the reserved cooking water to the pasta and vegetables and toss to combine (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry).

It comes together super quickly, and is delicious.  Great for leftovers, too!

Enjoy!