Pesto and Sausage Desperation Deliciousness

I came up with this recipe at The Byway, when my roomies and I were famished and didn’t have much in the house except some iffy potatoes, some freezer-burned sausage, and some fabulous pesto given to us by a friend. The whole turned out to be far greater than the sum of its parts and now this is one of my standbys. It can be made with either pasta or potatoes, but I think it’s best with the more unexpected potatoes. This dish is especially welcome in the dead of winter when basil seems like a miracle.

Here it is with pasta, but I assure you it’s tastier with potatoes.

3-4 links of Italian sausage, sliced into rounds
2 handfuls of waxy potatoes (~1.5 lbs), cut into large-bite size chunks
OR 3/4 box pasta
1 onion, diced into large-ish chunks
2 green peppers, cut the same as the onions (optional)
2-3 spoonfuls pesto
Olive oil for frying

Boil the potatoes in well-salted water until they’re mostly cooked, but not falling apart (or make pasta). Drain well, reserving a cup of the water from the pot.

Meanwhile, brown the sausage in your largest skillet. Once it’s cooked through and nicely browned, remove it into a bowl. Add oil (if needed) and then cook the onions and peppers over high heat until they’re soft enough for your liking and then transfer them to the bowl with the sausage.

Reduce the heat to medium and if the bottom of the pan is crusted, add some more oil. Place the potatoes in the pan in a single layer and allow them to brown slightly. Flip them once and allow them to brown on the other side. If you’re using pasta, simply add it to the pan to heat up and loosen it (crispifying it is yummy too!). If you need liquid, use some water from draining the potato/pasta pot.

Return the sausage, onions, and peppers to the pan and toss thoroughly. Remove from heat and add the pesto, combining well. If you used pasta you may need to transfer the lot to a big bowl for tossing. Descend ravenously upon this dish.