Linguine in Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Linguine on your table in 30 minutes and better than any restaurant! This Linguine recipe is guaranteed to become a repeat family favorite! It’s easy, creamy, comforting, flavorful and lick-the-plate scrumptious! This Linguine recipe is busting with al dente pasta and hot Italian sausage enveloped in DIVINE creamy sun-dried tomato, artichoke sauce AKA you will not believe the level of deliciousness coming out of your kitchen! This Linguine pasta is creamy addictive comfort food that also happens to be extremely versatile so you can swap the artichokes with your favorite veggies or swap the sausage for your favorite protein or omit it altogether. The Linguine noodles also reheat beautifully for make ahead dinner or meal prep or lunches throughout the week – because one meal is not enough
Servings 4 -6 serings
Ingredients
- 1 pound linguine
- 1 pound Hot Italian sausage or hot turkey sausage casings removed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 4 oz. sun-dried tomatoes in oil rinsed, roughly chopped (1 cup)
- 1 15 oz. can/jar artichoke hearts, NOT marinated drained and roughly chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup half and half
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chicken bouillon or better than bouillon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1 tsp EACH dried oregano, dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, salt
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente according to package directions in salted water. Remove 1 cup pasta water before draining. Toss drained pasta with a drizzle of olive oil to keep it from sticking. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomatoes jar in a large pan over medium high heat. Once hot, add sausage and onions and cook while breaking up sausage.
- Once the sausage is almost cooked through, add sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and optional red pepper flakes and cook for an additional 2 minutes; add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Dab off some of the grease if you like, then sprinkle in flour and cook while stirring for 1 minute (it will be thick).
- Turn heat to low then slowly whisk in chicken broth and half and half, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in chicken bouillon and all spices then increase heat to medium high to bring sauce to a simmer. Simmer until thickened, stirring often, 5-10 minutes.
- Once thickened, reduce heat to low and stir in Parmesan cheese until melted, followed by mozzarella cheese until melted.
- Stir in pasta until well coated. Add additional reserved pasta water a little at a time if needed to reach desired consistency. Garnish with additional Parmesan if desired.
- Taste and season with additional salt, pepper and/or red pepper flakes to taste. Garnish with freshly
Notes
Tips for Making Linguine
- Can I use a different pasta? Absolutely! I am partial to Linguine noodles in this creamy sauce but you could also use another long pasta such as spaghetti or fettuccine. I would avoid angel hair as it is too delicate for the sauce.
- Do I have to use half and half? Half and half adds body and richness to the sauce but doesn’t have nearly as many calories as heavy cream. Still, you can swap the half and half with 1 cup milk mixed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch.
- Can I use a different protein? I recommend hot Italian sausage because it is mega flavorful but you can certainly swap it out. For a lighter version, try using hot ground Italian turkey sausage. You can also use plain lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground turkey, sliced sausage etc. Just be aware that you will be losing some flavor if you omit the sausage because Italian sausage is seasoned with Italian seasonings. I recommend adding some ground fennel (about ¼ teaspoon) and a pinch of red pepper flakes if you use a different protein. Be ready to season to taste when the pasta is done.
- Can I add other veggies to Linguine? Absolutely! I love how the nutty, slightly sweet artichokes complement the tangy sun-dried tomatoes but you can swap the artichokes for different veggies such as bell peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, carrots broccoli, zucchini, spinach, etc.
- Can I make spicy Linguine? The hot Italian sausage is flavorful but does not make this Linguine recipe overly spicy. If really want to kick it up then you’ll want to add red pepper flakes. You can even add them to individual servings. I always add an additional 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes and if I really want a kick, I’ll add 1/2 teaspoon – but be aware 1/2 teaspoon is spicy – yum!
- Can I add more sun-dried tomatoes? Absolutely! I kept the tomatoes on the tame end of the spectrum so they wouldn’t compete with any of the ingredients, but if you want more of a forward sun-dried tomato taste – add more!
- How do I thin the sauce? The sauce can become too thick if its simmered at too high of heat or for too long. But don’t worry, it’s SO easy to fix! Simply stir in a little reserved pasta water after you combine the linguine with the sauce until it reaches desired consistency.
- How do you thicken the sauce? The sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it’s not as thick as you would like, then simmer longer or you can either thicken with cornstarch: whisk 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with 3 tablespoons chicken broth with a fork until smooth then whisk it back into the sauce. Simmer until thickened.
Make AHEAD
You can completely make and assemble your Linguine pasta ahead of time and gently warm (instructions below) or prepare elements in advance so it can come together super quickly at dinner time. That being said, it already is a super quick meal! If you know you are reheating, take extra care that your Linguine noodles are al dente – testing them a couple minutes before the package directions specify.1. TO PREP AHEAD
- Sauce: can be made 100% ahead of time and gently warmed in a skillet with a splash of chicken broth or half and half when you’re ready to use.
- Linguine: cook the pasta al dente, drain with cool water and toss with a drizzle of oil to prevent it from sticking together. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
- Combine: When ready to serve, add the linguine noodles to the warmed sauce and warm through.
2. ASSEMBLE AND REHEAT IN SKILLET
- Take care that your linguine noodles are cooked al dente.
- Complete Linguine recipe according to instructions.
- Transfer assembled pasta to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- When ready to serve, transfer Linguine to a skillet and heat gently, stirring often until heated through. You may need to add a splash of milk to thin the sauce as it will have thickened in the refrigerator.
3. ASSEMBLE THEN BAKE
- Take care that your linguine noodles are cooked al dente.
- Complete Linguine recipe according to instructions.
- Transfer to a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish, and refrigerate for up to two days.
- When read to bake, stir in an additional 1/3 cup milk to thin.
- Top with 1 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese and ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
- Tightly cover linguine with foil and bake for 35-45 minutes at 350 degrees F or until heated through, then remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.