Chicken and Sausage pasta is a dish I make fairly frequently when I need dinner fast. When I'm feeling smart, I plan ahead and make extra spaghetti sauce; when I'm not, I use a good quality prepared sauce. Here goes:
In a large heavy frying pan, place 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast and 3 to 4 mild Italian sausages. Just cover with water. Simmer till breast is poached, and sausages no longer pink. Remove to plate. Wipe out pan; add 1-2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Shred chicken, slice sausage, add both to pan. Over med. heat, quickly brown. Add 1/2 cup onion, chopped or sliced. Stir frequently till onion is translucent. Sprinkle mixture with 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper and 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or a mixture of oregano, rosemary, etc., as you prefer.) Continue to stir till fragrance is released, 2-5 min., then add a 26 oz container spaghetti sauce, or your own. Add in 1 and a half cups dried pasta. I usually use the small lasagna shapes or a small tubular shape like penne rigata. Then add just enough water so the whole mixture of meat and pasta is covered by just a quarter inch or so, mixing the water in well. At this point, I adjust salt, pepper, crushed red peppers, and seasonings, too. Zucchini, mushrooms, carrots (chopped) can be added. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, stir well, cover, and turn the heat down low. Simmer about 15 min., stirring at least once. Test pasta for "tooth-ability", and continue to cook if needed. Friends say red wine instead of water is also great. Serve with fresh fruit salad and crusty bread, to feed 6.