Chicken Sausage Pasta with Homemade Pesto and Cream Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ Packet Penne Pasta
•  1 small onion, chopped
•  8 cloves garlic, sliced
•  1/2 cup butter
•  2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•  2 cups milk
•  1 pinch salt
•  1 pinch pepper
•  1 1/2 cups grated Gouda cheese
•  1 cup prepared basil pesto (recipe below)
•  4 chicken sausages grilled
• 1 tomato tomato, diced

For Pesto Sauce

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

For Pesto Sauce

• Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add olive oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

For Pasta and Cream Sauce

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until tender and translucent. Stir in garlic and butter, and saute until garlic is soft and fragrant, about 1 minute. Dissolve flour in milk, then stir in. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Add cheese, and stir until melted. Stir in pesto. Add sausages and tomatoes. Cook 4 minutes, or until heated through. Toss with pasta until evenly coated.