Zombie Mom Pasta: Whole Wheat Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage, Sundried Tomatoes and Broccoli – an easy weeknight meal! #zombiemom #pastarecipe #healthypastarecipe #chicken #chickenrecipe #healthychickenrecipe #simplemeal #easydinner #dinnerideas #healthyrecipe #aggieskitchen
I’m officially a zombie mom — running on little sleep and muddling through days when conversations and errands slip my mind. With a newborn and a recent move, convenience meals took over our kitchen for a while. Pizza and takeout filled many nights until I decided enough was enough. Pasta has become my reliable, quick solution: healthy-ish, filling, and easy to pull together with pantry and freezer staples.
Before the baby arrived I stocked up on essentials, and that paid off. After taking inventory, I tossed together a fast, satisfying dinner using what I had: whole wheat pasta, chicken sausage, frozen broccoli and sundried tomatoes. It came together quickly and made enough for leftovers — always a win when time is short.
Making meals from odds and ends is a skill I inherited from family — they rarely followed recipes for weeknight dinners. Leftovers were reimagined into new plates, and pasta was often the base. This dish follows that same spirit: flexible, forgiving, and tasty.
This recipe is not exact — adjust ingredients and amounts to what you have on hand, fresh or frozen. It’s designed to be simple, quick, and forgiving.
Zombie Mom Pasta: Whole Wheat Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage, Broccoli and Sun Dried Tomatoes
Author: Aggie’s Kitchen
Category: Chicken
Method: Stovetop
An easy weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- 1 13 oz box whole wheat pasta (rotini shown; use your favorite)
- 1 lb fresh Italian chicken sausage (or precooked smoked sausage), cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1/2 – 3/4 14 oz package frozen broccoli florets
- 1/2 – 3/4 package julienned sundried tomatoes
- 1/4 cup red wine (or chicken broth or reserved pasta water)
- additional 2–3 tablespoons olive oil for drizzling before serving
- pinch salt and pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and brown, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened. Pour in the wine, chicken broth, or a splash of pasta water to deglaze the pan. Add frozen broccoli and sundried tomatoes and sauté until the broccoli is tender and everything is heated through.
- Reserve about 1/3 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta and add it to the skillet. Add the reserved pasta water and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Remove from heat, drizzle with the remaining olive oil and toss again. Serve with red pepper flakes if desired and plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
I used slightly thawed fresh Italian chicken sausage to make slicing easier. Precooked smoked sausage is a convenient substitute and works well if you prefer.
Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Pasta on Pinterest.