Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

By tulawdog

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless, skinless & cut into 1-inch portions
• 1 pound Italian sausage (any variety), removed from casing
• 2 tablespoons dry Italian herb mix (purchased, any favorite brand)
• To season – Kosher or sea salt & ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups yellow, brown or red onion, medium diced
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• To season, Kosher or sea salt & ground black pepper
• 1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed then angle-sliced into 1-inch portions
• 1 pound crimini mushrooms, quartered
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 1/2 cup Marsala wine
• 2 cups Parmigiano cheese, shredded or flaked
• 1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup basil, thinly sliced

Preparation

Step 1

1. Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and sausage. Season with the dry herbs, salt and pepper. Once browned, remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl. Cover to keep warm.

2. Using the same skillet (do not clean), warm the butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions and garlic. Sauté just until the onions are tender (2 minutes). Season lightly with salt and pepper

3. Add the asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes to the skillet. Continue to cook just until the asparagus is crisp tender, the mushrooms are soft and the tomatoes barely cook (3-4 minutes).

4. Off the heat, add the wine, return the skillet to the heat, scraping up any browned portions, cook until it is nearly absorbed. Stir in the precooked chicken and sausage. Cook, stirring, just until warmed through.

5. Just before serving, stir the parmesan, mascarpone and basil into the ragu.

Serve
1+ pound favorite pasta, cooked in salted water to al dente
¼ cup purchased basil pesto

1. Toss the cooked pasta with the pesto. Serve on individual plates or a platter topped with a generous serving of ragu. Garnish with more parmesan cheese if desired.