Habanero chicken sausage is fantastico in skillet pasta.
Always a fan of the Aidells chicken sausages at Costco, I had shied away from the Habanero variety. Just figured the Mango Jalapeño was as high as my spicy meter needed to go.
Wrong.
They are soooo good.
I love them grilled with not a single condiment. I love them sliced up sizzling in my scrambled eggs. And, now I love them in a Mexican-flavored skillet pasta.
Brian, my nothing-tastes-good-unless-it’s-spicy husband, was gushing about this dinner.
And, that’s the real reason I blog about food. It forces me to write it down to both share with others and to help me remember what I did so that I can do it again.
Ingredients List
- 4 Aidells Habanero Chicken Sausage Links, sliced
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cups orzo pasta
- 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp jalapeño, chopped
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 3 Tbsp lime juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- Optional garnishes: more cheese, chopped cilantro, sour cream or hot sauce (it’s already pretty spicy though)
Method
In a large, deep skillet, brown sausage over medium heat. Remove sausage and set aside.
In the same pan, add oil, orzo pasta, onion and garlic. Saute until pasta begins to brown.
Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Stir in all remaining ingredients including the browned sausage. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer uncovered until liquids are absorbed (about 20 minutes). Be sure to stir occasionally to avoid pasta sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Turn off heat. Stir in 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then serve with chosen garnishes.
Ummm this is seriously good, cook it all in one pot.