One Pot Lemon Basil, Asparagus, and Sausage Pasta.

One Pot Lemon Basil, Asparagus, and Sausage Pasta. This sausage pasta is made in 30 minutes, uses just one pot, and is a great way to use up that springtime asparagus. It’s made with spicy Italian chicken sausage, packed asparagus, is a touch garlicky, and finished with green olives and fresh basil. Perfect quick-cooking pasta that’s great for both late spring and summer nights. Everyone in the house will enjoy this cozy yet vibrant pasta, and the leftovers the following day are delicious.

The truth? A lot of times I make a recipe with a certain person in mind. It can be a sibling, a friend, anyone really. But I have the most fun creating recipes with others in mind. It allows me to step outside my own zone and think about what the other person would enjoy. It keeps things fun, fresh, and creative for me.

This pasta is a combination of two people and they both have very different flavor pallets. My oldest brother, Creighton, and my sister-in-law, Lyndsie.

Creighton is the person I turn to when I need a good meat-based recipe or something fun, cheesy, and more times than not, extra saucy. Creighton is all about the sauce. He loves his old school favorites like chicken fingers. tater tot casserole, or gyros with extra tzatziki sauce.

Lynd’s on the other hand? She is the complete opposite. Lyndsie loves vegetables and wants everything to be heavy on the herbs. She tosses in out-there ingredients and loves her cheese and lemons. In general, she’s all about vegetable-forward recipes with plenty of flavor and color.

These two could not be more different, yet this pasta is mash-up of what each of them loves most.

The details you need to know about this one pot pasta…

As you might guess, this is pretty simple and straight forward, but I’m throwing in some major flavor throughout.

Start with the pasta. For this particular recipe, I like to boil and drain the pasta first.

While the pasta is boiling, make a quick vinaigrette/sauce. This is the flavor of this pasta. It’s a mix of plenty of fresh basil, chives, and green olives. It’s fresh, a bit tangy, and perfectly salted. The idea is that by the time the pasta is finished boiling, all the other prep work is complete.

If you have a food processor, this makes really quick work of all the chopping and mixing. It creates a more vinaigrette-like sauce that will give your pasta a very pretty green hue. Just a tip, but certainly not needed if you don’t own a food processor.

Once the pasta has been drained, start cooking the spicy Italian chicken sausage in the very same pot you boiled the pasta in. I like to brown the sausage in a little olive before adding the asparagus and garlic. Once the garlic is added, you’ll want to cook a few minutes more, just until that garlic is fragrant.

Next, white wine, just a splash. It’s delicious and adds a nice flavor. Of course, if you prefer not to cook with wine, you can simply use a splash of white vinegar, chicken broth, or vegetable broth. My first choice would be the vinegar, followed by the broth.

Next add the pasta, plenty of freshly grated parmesan cheese, and all of the basily olive sauce. Once you add the sauce, your kitchen will immediately smell amazing. Like an Italian grandma’s kitchen in the summer months when she’s cooking with fresh basil from the garden.

It’s a very wonderful smell.

Suggestions, substitutes, and ideas…

If you don’t love asparagus, try using another spring or summer vegetable. I recommend broccoli or zucchini, just something green to preserve the pretty vibrant green color throughout this one pot pasta.

Not a fan of sausage? Well, first I highly recommend giving an Italian chicken sausage a try. It’s spicy, less fatty, and I always find it to have much better flavor in comparison to traditional pork sausage. I like to buy my chicken sausage at Whole Foods from the butcher, but most grocery stores with a butcher will make you fresh chicken sausage if you ask.

And that’s it. Serve this up while it’s warm and every bowl at the table will come back to the sink clean.

Creighton has said this is my best “quarantined” recipe yet. It’s his new favorite…which honestly I was shocked by. This pasta ended up being much more of a Lyndsie food versus a Creighton food. I was worried he wouldn’t even touch this due to the green color. But he loved every last bite and is calling it a new favorite. Who knew he’d love something so green…exciting.

And the best part? This is an easy, flavorful pasta that could not be better for a busy night. Plus the leftovers are great warm or chilled the following day.

Tip? Add a couple of handfuls of baby spinach to boost the greens! Now you basically have pasta salad. So very balanced! Enjoy everyone!

Looking for other one pot recipe? Here are a couple of favorites…

One Pot Creamy Tuscan Pesto and Artichoke Pasta

One Pot 30 Minute Creamy Tomato Basil Pasta Bake

Lastly, if you make this one pot lemon basil, asparagus, and sausage pasta, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!