In this recipe:
Stuffing with Chickpea Lentil Pasta & Italian Sausage
We know you are saying “Pasta in stuffing?” To which we say, “Sure, why not?!” And once you taste it, Stuffing with Chickpea Lentil Pasta & Italian sausage is likely to become a traditional side dish with your turkey.
Robyn from Simply Fresh Dinners is sharing her monthly recipe with us today and we’re crushing on this delicious and original holiday idea.
I’m thrilled to be sharing this extra special dish because I love it when an experiment turns out exactly how I imagined it! I’ve included so many of my favorite ingredients in here – lots of veggies, apple, cranberries, pecans, and lovely fresh herbs. You gotta know this is going to wow the fam after they get over their initial shock, ha!
I am a traditionalist when it comes to stuffing but it was recently suggested to me that I create a recipe with Chickapea Pasta instead of the bread and I was very intrigued. I loved the way the spirals soaked up the flavor and knowing this is a healthy option lets you add that extra spoonful to your plate.
I need color and crunch in my food and this recipe has plenty of texture and look at the brightness of those tasty ingredients! Fresh herbs make all the difference in flavor and it includes a generous amount of pan-fried sage.
This is one of those recipes that you can make your own. Adding some raisins, sultanas or currants would be tasty. If you’re a fan of rosemary – go for it. A little pancetta could be fun too. The options are only limited by your imagination.
The recipe suggestion comes from Andrea, the food loving compliance manager at Chickapea Pasta! I started with some of her ingredients and then incorporated my traditional recipe for turkey that you can find here. Thanks, Andrea, I think we’ve got a winner on our hands!
Looking for more original chickpea lentil recipes?
Once you taste it, Stuffing with Chickpea Lentil Pasta & Italian Sausage is likely to become a traditional side dish with your turkey. And I’ve added all my favorite ingredients in here – lots of veggies, apple, cranberries, pecans, and lovely fresh herbs.
- 8 ounces Chickapea Pasta spirals
- 1 pound Italian sausage
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 4 large sage leaves, chopped
- 3/4 cup homemade chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
- 1 apple, chopped; leave skin on if organic
- 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup panko or gluten-free bread crumbs
- Options: sultanas, raisins or currants
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Preheat oven to 350 F
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Melt butter in a large skillet. Add onions and celery, and cook over medium heat until onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add sage, stir to combine, and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add 1/2 of the stock, and stir well. Cook for about 5 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half.
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Meanwhile, remove casings from sausage, break into crumbly pieces while cooking until brown. Drain any excess fat from pan.
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Cook pasta according to directions, rinse and drain immediately. Add to sausage pan and combine. Remove from heat.
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Transfer onion mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add sausage/pasta mixture. Add all remaining ingredients, including the remaining stock; mix to combine. You may have to add some more chicken stock according to how moist you want your dressing.
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Transfer to a baking dish and spread evenly. Top with bread crumbs. Drizzle a little melted butter on top at this point if desired.
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Bake for 15-20 minutes until top is slightly crispy and golden. Remove and serve immediately.
Oven temperatures vary. You'll want to keep an eye on this the first time you cook it.
Feel free to change up the fresh herbs according to your family's tastes.
I tend to put very little salt in my food. You may like a little more.
Want more THANKSGIVING IDEAS? Gotta love the holidays!
If you make this recipe or any other dishes from our Chickapea Pasta recipe page, please tag us with @chickapeapasta and #chickapeapasta on Instagram so we can share your creativity with our readers!
