Penne Pasta with Brussels Sprouts In a Ragu
Penne pasta tossed with sauteed brussels sprouts and a quick meat ragu using lean ground turkey and just enough hot Italian pork sausage to enhance the flavor of the sauce. A hearty pasta dish for a crisp Autumn day.
Penne Pasta with Brussels Sprouts In a Ragu
Serve this with sprinkled Pecorino Romano and a spoonful of part-skim ricotta on top, yum!! A few other pasta dishes you may like are Pasta with Butternut Squash Sauce, Spicy Sausage and Baby Spinach, Fettuccini with Winter Greens and Poached Egg, and Spicy Whole Wheat Linguini with Peppers and Spicy Sausage.
I’m busy working on my cookbook, so I thought since I’m making this tonight, I would revive it from the archives. Trust me it’s good, and if you don’t believe me read the comments!
I know what some of you are thinking, brussels sprouts??? YES, trust me on this, prepared right, they are delicious!
My husband almost didn’t allow me to add them to his portion claiming how much he dislikes them. He put his fork in my bowl of sauteed brussels sprouts and quickly changed his mind. He claimed I cheated by adding all that garlic to them. Well whatever works : )
In fact, all throughout the meal, he raved about what a great dish this turned out to be.
Penne Pasta with Brussels Sprouts In a Ragu
Ingredients
- 1 sweet or hot pork sausage link, casing removed, crumbled
- 3/4 lb 93% lean ground turkey
- 4 tsp olive oil, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
- 10 oz brussels sprouts, weight after outer leaves and stems removed
- 1 small onion, diced small
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced small
- 1 celery stalk, diced small
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes, I use Tuttoroso
- 1 bay leaf
- pinch crushed red pepper
- kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 lb whole wheat pasta, brown rice pasta for gluten free
Instructions
- In a large, wide skillet, add sausage and turkey over medium-high heat, breaking up the sausage and turkey as it cooks into small pieces.
- When completely cooked through; set aside in a bowl.
- With a sharp knife, cut the brussels sprouts into thin shreds.
- To the skillet, add 2 tsp of oil over medium heat.
- When hot, add the garlic and cook until golden (do not burn).
- Add shredded brussels sprouts, salt and pepper and sauté until tender crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes; set aside in another bowl.
- To the same skillet, add remaining 2 tsp of oil over medium-high heat.
- Add onion, carrot and celery, stirring well to coat with oil.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables turn golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.
- Add crushed tomatoes, sausage and turkey, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, salt and fresh pepper to taste.
- Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 30 - 40 minutes, or until sauce thickens.
- Meanwhile, while sauce is simmering, put a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the water 10 minutes before the sauce is done and cook pasta al dente.
- Drain and add the pasta to the skillet and toss with the sauce.
- Add cooked brussel sprouts, toss and place in a large pasta bowl.
The sauce turned out great. I don’t usually make tomato sauce from scratch on a weeknight. I did, however, doctor it up a bit. I added more garlic after I sauteed the onion mix. I also added about 1 tbs italian seasoning and 1 tbs of a pizza seasoning I have (it has fennel and other good stuff in it). My husband couldn’t be persuaded to eat the brussels sprouts, but that’s fine – I put them in my bowl first with some sauce. Then I mixed the pasta with the rest of the sauce. I served my pasta over my sprouts; he had just pasta.
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First let me say, as a family we’ve made at least 200 of your recipes and have loved everyone one of them except maybe one or two at most. With that being said this recipe was the worst of the heap in my opinion. I do not believe turkey lends itself well to a bolognese, it is better suited for recipes that are creamier or have fat added from other sources. I would definitely not recommend this recipe to anyone. With that being said, I do want to thank you for all the other delicious meals I have enjoyed because of you!
I just finished making this recipe!! Yummy. I did add some red wine to sauce and when pasta was done a 1/2 c cooked pasta water. I love how you brought in the sprouts! Such a blending of flavors! A dish well worthy of cooking! I love Brussel Sprouts and this has taken it to the next level! Thank you! Listen to Faith Middleton yesterday and you were on. Good show and job.
Thank you Jennifer!!
Made this last night – right smack in the middle of a hot Texas summer and it was very, very good. Everyone in my family enjoyed it. I used my food processor to medium shred the sprouts and I added a little chicken broth to the sauce to thin it out a bit and get through the 30 min simmer. Keeper.
I'm recently obsessed with brussel sprouts! This looks like a hearty winter meal. Thanks for the recipe.
Big brussel sprout stalks were on sale at the grocery store, so I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious!
I started out with the idea that I was going to half the recipe, but quickly went to winging it. I decided that I wanted a lot of veggies and sauce, but not so many noodles, so I used a ton of brussel sprouts (probably more than you used for the full recipe), and about 6 oz italian pork sausage (no turkey). I coarsely diced one full carrot and a full celery stick, but just half an onion. At the end, I cooked up about 3 oz of noodles and put them in too.
The end result was a veggie-lover's dream: tons of roughage with a little bit of carbs and some meat to round it out. It wasn't the quickest meal because of all the chopping and simmering, but I still have half a brussel sprout stalk and I'm making it again in a few days. It was worth every second of prep!
Loved it! 🙂
Do you think I could make this and freeze it?
Rebecca S
Hey Gina~
I have been following your blog for several months now, and I have never been disappointed! I love all the ingredients listed; however, this recipe fell short of expectations. I found the ragu bland. I know I enjoy more heavily seasoned food, so I blame myself for not trusting my gut and adding something to the sauce. I doubled the bay leaf and the crushed red pepper, but it was still bland. I'd like to try again, but I would probably add some other spices such as basil and oregano.
Oh my goodness I tried this and loved it! Only thing I did was added mushrooms with the onion, celery and carrot. It was so good. Thank you so much!
This looks so good. But where do you get the sauce from. Does it come from the crushed tomatoes?
This recipe is SO delicious! I would change nothing. It's awesome.
I will never make bolognese without brussel sprouts ever, ever again!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this recipe! I was so amazed at how the brussel sprouts add so much flavor to this tastey dish. My family said they would order this in a restaurant! I will make this again. (My first time using ground turkey EVER and I will buy that again.) Thanks!
I just made this, and omg!! I've added a little fresh basil to it and nearly died from the tasty goodness. This is definitely one of my favorites, Gina!
This is delicious and I love every single recipe on your site! Thank you so much for giving us yummy, healthy alternatives at dinner time!
I really like brussel sprouts, but I don't like them just steamed or boiled. I made the brussel sprouts portion of this recipe as my veggie side for dinner tonight and they are soooo yummy! I'll still have to try the whole recipe
This was awesome! My Mom had brought me some zucchini gnocchi frozen that I had been trying to find a ragu for. I left out the brussel sprouts because I wasn't sure it would mix well together. The ragu alone was delish. I also used a hot italian turkey sausage that worked very well! I love that I can use pieces or all of your recipes and they always taste delish.
Ok first I have to say that your recipes are amazing and thank you so much for everything you are doing!! I never write comments but I had to after I made this recipe. This was a hit! I have a very picky 5 year old and she ate it and liked it!! My 3 year old and 1 year old also gobbled it up. (Husband is at work so that's tbd but I'm sure he'll love it just like we all did). Thanks again!!!!
Made this last night. OMG! So delicious! How do you do it? How's the mile a day going?
Oh good heavens this is delicious! Decreased the pasta a bit (keep hubby happy) and increased the brussels a bit (keep me happy.) Even used thawed, frozen sprouts. Delicious. Definitely a "repeatable eatable" – as my husband says!
I made this and then found out from my husband that we had dinner plans to eat out for three nights in a row! So, now I have to ask: Will this freeze well? Not sure with the brussel sprouts in there. On the other hand, we could just eat it for lunch over the next three days, too!
I made this last night for dinner and all of my family approved of it! All of which are not fans of brussel sprouts. I am looking forward to my lunch of leftovers today.
Gina, I love your blog and all the healthy and tasty foods. It is a great help to me in my journey of losing weight and still eating foods that I like.
Anybody try making this with spaghetti squash?! Think I am going to give it a try tonight! Looking forward to it 🙂
Love pasta and love Brussels sprouts, so this recipe is definitely on my To Try list! Although I might opt for a vegetarian version.
just bought some Brussels sprouts- now i know what i'm making with them!
Quick question. About how many ounces of sausage would you put in the recipe? I have a one pound package. I don't want to put too much in and mess up the points. Thanks.
This was great!!! Thank you!!
Made this today and it was AMAZING!! Thank you as always for yummy, healthy, easy to prepare recipes!!
This recipe is incredible!! The 1 pork sausage among all the ground turkey makes the whole thing taste like a rich ragu. I added mushrooms, which I found a tasty addition.
I also used whole tomatoes because the grocery store was out of crushed – required some mushing up but worked fine.
This was delicious. In fact it went way beyond my expectations.
Like all of your recipes, this was simple to make and wonderful.
Can't wait to try this and can't wait for your cookbook! Your my favorite food blog so I'm am way too excited for a cookbook!
Made this for dinner last night and it was a huge hit with the picky eater of the family :). Definitely making again!
I'm a WW member, and I love your site. Tried this last night; it was delicious. Our local Trader Joe's carries a 10 oz bag of shaved brussel sprouts, which was perfect and cut prep time. Julie
This is one of my favorites! And the recipe that finally made me give brussels sprouts a try about a year ago. Even my toddler will eat them now.
I made a vegetarian version of this for dinner with Dreamfields pasta and it was fantastic. Thanks again GinA.
Made this for a late lunch today. Totally delicious. My son dropped by soon after and sniffed YUM then saw the HUGE bowl of it and said. Hey, can I have a bowl? 3/4 of the way through he said "I never had lettuce in pasta before". My mistake was telling him it was Brussels Sprouts. He dropped his fork…
"REALLY SON…COME ONE…" you ate most of it and said it was great! Too Funny but it was truly delicious and more for me for a few more meals! Thanks Gina. Nancy
Sounds so yummy! Great way to get my son to eat brussel sprouts – thanks. Great blog and your pictures look beautiful. When does your cookbook come out? 🙂
Great, 2014
Not soon enough.
I made this a couple of weeks ago for my family (and subbed turkey sausage for the pork sausage) and EVERYONE (including a 4 and 5 year old) LOVED it!! Gina, I have no idea what we'd do without you, skinnytaste is my go to for everything and 95% of our dinners are from the site.
So happy everyone loved it!
Trader Joe's sells the "shredded" brussel sprouts.
I can hardly wait for your cookbook!
I love Brussels sprouts! mmm. except I'd leave out the meat. vegetarian over here! 🙂
I'm recently obsessed with brussel sprouts! This looks like a hearty winter meal. Thanks for the recipe.
Sounds delicious! Question: Many of the recipes I save ask for 3/4 lb 93% lean ground turkey which is what I buy but it usually comes in 1.25lbs. Do you split it before freezing and what can I do with remainder and is there a recipe for that?
Yes, you can freeze it or I usually make a turkey burger for lunch if I have a small amount.
This looks amazing! Both my husband and I LOVE brussel sprouts, especially with garlic and olive oil 🙂 Definately going on the menu planner next month!
I am SUCH a pasta fan. Thanks for the recipe!!
What would you recommend in place of sausage? I'm not a big sausage fan.
Use more turkey in it's place.
This was scrumptious!!! I can't wait to make it again! Thank you, Gina, for helping me change my life. I have used so many of your recipes, and they have been a tremendous help to me in my Weight Watchers journey. I have learned so much both from Weight Watchers AND you!!!
This was AMAZING!!! I used ground chicken and chicken/pork sausage blend and decreased the pasta to 12 oz (hopefully lost a point in the process). What a beautiful and tasty recipe. I also baked the outer leaves of the sprouts with a spritz of olive oil and sea salt in my toaster oven for a great snack while fixing dinner. Great recipe Gina!
You never fail me – I was just thinking about the ground turkey and brussel sprouts I have in the fridge – google led me right back to you and this recipe! We'll be having this tonight!
Looks like a delicious meal!
Could you use frozen brussel sprouts? Would you treat them any differently?
I've never cooked frozen, I'm sure it would work although not sure if the taste would be the same.
Wow I tried this recipe twice now, and both times were successful! Before, I always though brussel sprouts were pretty nasty maybe because the times my friends and family cooked it, it tasted bland. But this sauce pairs well with the brussel sprouts. The first time I tried this though, I didn't have brussel sprouts on hand so I used spinach instead. That also tasted really good. But if you like a little bit more crunch for this pasta, then brussel sprouts are the way to go!
Oh yeah, I also used ground beef both times because ground turkey was pretty expensive at the grocery store. Still tasting good! Good luck to those who plan to make this!
My husband and I typically despise Brussels. But I snuck these in to our dinner, and we both were over the moon. This recipe is amazing. I did not add sausage as I dont like the texture. Thank you for being so fab in the kitchen, you inspire me to feed my family healthier foods and to try new things
I saw this recipe and i thought what a great idea! I never thought about putting it with spagetti sauce. I make sauteed brussel sprouts and egg noodles ALL the time my boyfriend can't get enough of them! Tanks for the new idea!
Just found your site a few weeks ago. Last week I made brussels sprouts pancetta (fantastic). Last night I made this dish…absolutely delicious! Also introduced my cousins and aunt to skinnytaste and they are hooked as well. THANK YOU GINA!
Thank you so much for that great recipe! I tried it yesterday and we absolutely loved it! I made a vegetarian version, though, adding soy instead of meat. And I added a bit of red wine to the tomato sauce. It was delicious! 🙂
OMG!!!! This was sooooooo good! Seriously, one of the best recipes I've made by you, and I've made probably 40-50! You are the best Gina! This is Sunday-Special Occasion-Hosting- Impress a Crowd Good. No one in my house likes, or should I say likED, brussel sprouts, but not anymore. I can now say I LOVE BRUSSEL SPROUTS!! Never thought I'd say that! Everyone, make this! You will love it! Gina, I cook from your site at least 6 nights a week and I have lost 70 pounds the past 10 months. I owe you a big thank you! I appreciate all you do! Also, your little girl is a doll! 🙂
I made this last night, it was delicious. Love your site 🙂
I made this tonight. We made it with diced tomatoes rather than the crushed (it's what i had in the pantry!) I was AWESOME!!!! loved it… can't wait for the leftovers, I bet they will be just as good if not better!
I haven't eaten brussels sprouts since I was little. I don't know what my mom did to them but they were…for a lack of better term- gross! Then I saw this recipe and am trusting your husband on this one!! 🙂 Thank you so much for your recipes, I'm getting everyone I know hooked on them. Also making the crock pot apple sauce as we speak…what a GREAT idea!
Thanks again!
Ok, thanks for the explanation! Makes sense and makes me feel better about having a little extra next time 🙂
So glad you all liked this.
Yes, 1 lb dry pasta which is 16 oz. This is 8 servings so it's 2 oz of pasta per person which is about a cup plus all the sausage, sauce and brussels sprouts. I measured it so I know it's correct.
I just made this dish tonight and it was great! The flavors were very hearty and I loved the crispness of the shredded brussel sprouts. I have also just joined Weight Watchers so I really appreciate that you include all of the Points+ information as well. One question though – when you say 1 lb of penne in the ingredients list, is that supposed to be dry or cooked pasta? I assumed it was dry and made an entire box of penne but the amount that I ended up with was enormous! Also, is it really 1 3/4 cup of the finished meal per serving? I only allowed myself about a cup because it seemed to be too much and I thought the points value couldn't be right for that size. Appreciate your feedback!
This was sooo good! I admit that I did omit the Brussels sprouts though. I used ground pork Italian sausage (that I made myself from lean ham and pork shoulder) and added some parsley and basil and extra garlic to the sauce. Yumm!!!
I made this with turkey breakfast sausage (because I forgot to buy the hot link, too!) and it was great! My boyfriend ate THREE BOWLS and then more for breakfast the next day. He absolutely LOVED IT. Thanks Gina!
Wow! This may be our favorite ST recipe yet. So now we're four for four. My DH LOVED this dish. I knew he would though – brussels sprouts are one of his favorite vegetables – seriously. They're a staple in our house. I think that just the shredded brussels sprouts and garlic sautee would be great alone as a side dish (I usually roast mine).
Now, I did everything according to recipe with a couple minor adjustments:
– substituted ground chicken instead of ground turkey
– substituted chicken sausage instead of pork
– added one sage leaf and a bit of fresh oregano from my plant
That was it. Oh, and this halved beautifully.
Also for all the points counters out there, I halved this and counted it as 4 servings. I omitted the olive oil (oops, forgot to put that above) and for the full recipe WW was saying this one was 7 points. However, I really think that it is so generous of a portion that half of the recipe is EASILY 6 generous servings (and I like to eat a lot). So hooray for all the P+ people!
I'm on a mission to make all veggies taste great!
most definitely on our do again list. I don't like brussel sprouts but this was delish! Glad there are left overs,. will be doing this for lunch tomorrow!!
Yummmmy. Just made this for my three year old, my husband, my sister & her hubby and a friend. They all gave two thumbs up. I am so thankful that my friend introduced me to your Web site…I am addicted:). Thank you for sharing, Gina.
SO glad you all liked it. This is my favorite way to make brussels as a side.
I made this last night. My husband and son were very skeptical about the brussel sprouts. My husband isn't really a picky eater, but that is one thing he's not fond of. It turned out amazing, of course. They both loved it. I think I'll even make the brussel sprouts like that as a side dish sometimes. Thanks for another winner!!!
I made this last night and it's so good. Cooking for one, I always have to find recipes that still taste good as leftovers. I used only 6.5 oz of pasta and doubled up the brussels sprouts. I split the sauce in half, tossed the pasta and brussels sprouts in one half, and only brussels sprouts in the other half for low-carb dinners. Very versatile!
Violin- lol!!
To add the spice without the sausage, use a little crushed red pepper flakes.
THIS LOOKS AMAZING! However, I recently became vegetarian….what could I use to still get the spice of the sausage, but with out the meat?
I made this tonight and LOVED it. Being a single lady, I only made half and had enough for several people still (lunch leftovers!). I added some fresh basil, seasonings and some red wine and it was truly amazing. No one would guess it's lower fat. It probably helped that I finished the rest of the bottle of wine off while I made it…oops.
I just made this for our anniversary dinner and husbands birthday dinner. It was amazing and we both loved it!For dessert we had the red velvet cupcakes… what would we do without you!?
could you make this with frozen brussel sprouts?
I made this for dinner last night and I absolutely LOVE it! I love brussels sprouts and am excited to have another way to incorporate them into my life. I modified it slightly to fit what was available in stores and it turned out perfectly. Instead of sausage and ground turkey I used 1 lb of lean ground beef mixed with chopped fresh basil, oregano, sage, and thyme from my garden. So delicious! This dish is another winner that will go in my recipe box.
Thanks Basil!!
So glad you all liked this! And those that took a chance on making this, I appreciate your trust 🙂
Just made this. Un.be.lievable. YES! Another way to sneak veggies in meals for my kids!
This was delicious!!! Thank you so much for the recipe!
This looks great! I can't wait to try it! I wonder how many less points it would be if I used 99% f/f ground turkey? I guess I could enter it and see! Thanks!
I never liked brussel sprouts but I'll definitely try this recipe- I just have to wait until they're available in Germany…
I love the way you used the sausage to flavor this. What a smart way to keep the fat down without sacrificing taste. I just love your whole cooking philosophy . . .
Weirdo that I am, I actually LOVE brussels sprouts but I have never thought about doing them in a red sauce. Yum.
So glad you all liked this!!
Deborah, I'm going to try that!!
If you don't eat pork, use chicken or turkey sausage in place of the pork sausage and ground turkey. Vegetarians can leave the meat out, it would still be great.
Nonna- pancetta or smoked bacon is excellent with b sprouts!
Gina – your recipes look amazing and your photos are beautiful! It was so nice to meet you in DC!
Lindsay
My husband and my 6 year old gave this a thumbs up last night! All of our ground turkey has been recalled where I live so I used Laura's 96% lean gr beef and drained what little grease there was…probably should have used gr chicken??
I come across a distinct pasta recipe at http://www.ifood.tv/network/orange_pasta. Can you please provide an instructional recipe for this here at your page?
I made this tonight and my husband and I both LOVED it! Neither of us have ever liked brussels sprouts before, but this looked so good I had to try it and I'm glad I did.
I've been following your blog for a while now and send links to your recipes to my friends and family all the time, but this one was so great I had to sign in and leave a comment 🙂
Thank you so much for creating and sharing so many awesome healthy recipes!!
Hi Gina, I dont eat meat – would leaving the meat out make the recipe too runny? Any suggestions?
wow!
this looks very delicious!
i will try this!
thanks for sharing this
ummmmmmmm….. tasty pasta with nutritional ingredients:) I am lovin' it
I hate to say I have never eaten brussels sprouts, but this recipe is making me wonder how they taste! More to add to the grocery list for this weekend!
How about a really good, butcher-quality smokey bacon rather than the sausages. I've used bacon with broccoli sprouts and it was wonderful. Great looking recipe.
Sounds delish! I have been wanting some brussel sprouts and I cook with ground turkey a lot! Love your site and appreciate the Points too in your recipes! Thanks, this is a for-sure recipe to try!
Looks so amazing! I don't eat pork, and usually I don't have a problem substituting "italian-style" chicken sausage. Would the decreased amount of fat from the pork make a big difference in taste?
Yum, this looks amazing! I don't eat pork and might just substitute low-fat chicken sausage for all the meat… thanks, this one totally hits the spot.
That recipe looks amazing!
Mmmm, gonna need to find some fresh brussel sprouts now….!
Steph
was wondering if the sausage link you used the bratwurst size one?
Gina – We love b-sprouts, pasta, Italian sausage!!!! Will make this soon (probably all turkey, even the sausage, just add more seasoning to make it hot). Have you ever tried roasted b-sprouts on your hubby? My guys love them that way (although they'll eat them just nuked) – a bit of olive oil, garlic, S&P – roasted until they burn a bit (first time that was an accident but we liked it so much I burn them on purpose now), then toss them with a bit of balsamic vinegar. Good even cold. Thanks for your good work!! Deborah
I absolutely adore brussel sprouts. I picked up a huge basket of them at the market last weekend and have been enjoying them steamed with a touch of coconut oil and salt. SO good. I love that you added them to pasta. I can't say I've ever done that 🙂
Just found your blog. I'm reluctant to try brussel sprouts but this makes it look…gasp… good!
Ahhhhh YUM! I love a healthy pasta recipe. Definitely going to try the brussels sprouts on my hubs 🙂
{Bobbi}
http://jbwelzel.blogspot.com/
Krystina – I've actually been thinking about that for next week possibly.
Anna, there was really no fat to drain, I left whatever was on the bottom of the pan for extra flavor.
JMB, sure bacon or pancetta would be nice. Not too much though or it will add more fat/calories, etc.
Is there something I can use instead of sausage? Would bacon work? Not a fan of sausage. I just started eating pork this year after a 30 year break, so I am working things in slowly 🙂 Thanks.
Great idea to use brussel sprouts! Yum!
I love brussel sprouts! This looks amazing!
I am SO GLAD that I read this before grocery shopping tomorrow!! This is going on the menu for sure!!! YUM! 🙂
Did you drain off the fat/grease from the browned italian sausage and ground turkey before placing in a bowl? Or did you leave that fat in the skillet and then add the 2 tsp of oil to saute the brussel sprouts/garlic? Thanks!
This looks amazingly good! I love brussels sprouts! The "Autumn Pasta" had me thinking.. you should come up with a Pumpkin penne pasta recipe. Come on Gina, I'm craving it and I know you can do it! lol
Mmmm! This is definitely going on a menu plan soon!