Fettuccine and Zoodles Topped with Chicken Sausage, Asparagus, and Mushrooms

This dish is hearty and satisfying for both the health-conscious and zoodle-skeptical. My husband said it looked 'gourmet' and that the taste was 'restaurant-quality'. I prepped the ingredients ahead of time and threw it together at dinner time. This photo could have been better - I didn't think to take one until my husband self-served his second helping!

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 50 mins
• Calories: 599 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup diced onion
• ½ cup half-and-half
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 (9 ounce) package fresh fettuccine (such as Buitoni®)
• 2 zucchini, cut into spirals using a spiral slicer
• 1 (16 ounce) package chicken Italian sausage, casings removed
• ½ pound fresh asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir sausage until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer sausage to a bowl.

Step 2

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the same skillet; cook and stir mushrooms and onion until onions are softened and mushrooms are softened yet still firm, about 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and asparagus; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Season mixture with salt and pepper.

Step 3

Move vegetables to the edge of the skillet and add half-and-half, flour, and butter; cook and stir until a thick and smooth sauce forms, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sausage to the skillet and stir vegetables into sauce.

Step 4

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine in the boiling water until tender yet firm to the bite, 1 to 3 minutes; drain.

Step 5

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add zucchini noodles (zoodles) and red pepper flakes; cook and stir until tender yet firm to the bite, 5 to 7 minutes. Mix fettuccine into zoodle mixture.

Step 6

Divide zoodle-fettuccine mixture among serving plates and top with sausage mixture. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each.