Gemelli with Turkey Italian Sausage and Roasted Vegetables in a Parmesan Cream Sauce

• Olive oil, to taste
• 8 oz button mushrooms, quartered
• 1 small red onion, quartered
• 1 small red bell pepper, sliced
• 5-6 cloves of garlic (keep skins on for roasting)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 10 spears of asparagus, ends trimmed, cut into thirds
• 1 yellow squash, sliced
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 lb. gemelli pasta, cooked per instructions
• 3-5 links of Turkey Italian sausage, to taste

Fran’s Parmesan Cream Sauce:

• 12 oz of evaporated milk
• ¾ cup of finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp fresh nutmeg, grated
• Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
• 2-3 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with some cold milk

Serving:

• Fresh basil, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, grated

How to Make Gemelli with Turkey Italian Sausage and Roasted Vegetables in a Parmesan Cream Sauce:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

Roast the veggies by placing the mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, and garlic (keep the skins on so they don’t burn while roasting) on the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Place in the oven and roast for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and stir the veggies. Add the asparagus, yellow squash, and zucchini to the baking sheet, drizzle with a bit more oil, and re-season with a bit more salt and pepper. Spread out in an even layer and return to the oven. Roast for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for a bit. Once the garlic has cooled, carefully remove the skins and slice them, then return them to the rest of the veggies.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, cook the sausage by heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the turkey sausage from the casings and cook, breaking it into crumbles.

Prepare the cream sauce by combining the evaporated milk, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, sea salt, and pepper to taste in a small saucepan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted.

Make the slurry by combining the cornstarch with a little cold milk and mixing well. Once the sauce starts to boil, add the cornstarch slurry and stir until well combined and thickened. Taste and re-season or add more cheese, if desired.

Finish the dish by adding the cooked and drained pasta, the roasted veggies, turkey Italian sausage, and fresh basil to the cream sauce and mixing until well combined, adding some reserved pasta water if needed.

Serve immediately and enjoy.