Italian Pesto Pasta

So this is one of those meals that I usually have everything for and it is easy to whip together....We love it with sliced Italian Sausage links, but I will use whatever I have from cooked Chicken to Flavored Smoked Sausage to Salami......This is probably one of Mikiah's favorite meals....whenever I ask her what she wants for dinner she usually replies with "Pesto Pasta"......You can use any semi soft or soft cheese that you like.....I just so happened to have some Farmers Cheese which worked great.....Havarti also works great as well as those flavored spreadable cheeses....add more veggies if you like.....Peppers would be a good add in.........Oh and I love Trader Joe's pesto....which is a major bummer about living in San Antonio....No Trader Joe's down here.....Totally miss that store.....

Makes 4-6 servings

1 pkg Italian Sausage Links (Sweet or Hot)

2 C Cream

1/4-1/3 C Prepared Pesto

3 oz Cream Cheese

8 0z (1 C) Farmers Cheese (or any other Semi Soft/Soft Cheese)

Pepper, to taste

2-3 C Fresh Broccoli, cut into florets

1 Lg Can Medium Olives (you can slice, I don't so Shawn can pick them out)

1 lb Pasta (we use Mini Penne or Bow Tie, easier for the twins to eat)

1/2 C Parmesan Cheese or Parm Cheese Blend, garnish on top

Fry up the sausage links until done all the way through. Remove from heat and slice.

Boil a pot of water. Add in a some salt and then the noodles. Cook according to package, except in the last 2-4 min (depending on how done you want your broccoli) add in the broccoli to the pot. Drain and dump back into the stock pot and then add the olives on top.

While noodles are cooking. Start the sauce. Pour the cream into a sauce pan or deep skillet. Heat over med low/med heat for 5-8 min until hot through. Stir in pesto and heat another 1-3 min to bring back to hot. Stir in cream cheese once combined add in the semi soft cheese and stir until melted and well combined. Then add the sausage to the pan and season with pepper, keep over med low/med heat and bring sauce to back to hot and slightly thickened around 5 min or so. Pour sauce over the noodles/broccoli/olives and stir to combine, serve out of the pot or dump into a pasta bowl.....Top with Parmesan Cheese and Enjoy.....