Conchiglie Pasta with Pesto alla Trapanese and Vegan Apple-Sage Sausage, Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Onions

Last September, I described Pesto alla Trapanese, a Sicilian pesto made with tomatoes, oil, almond, basil, garlic, salt, and pepper, which I can sometimes find sold in small 200g bottles from a Sicilian company, Antichi Sapori di Sicilia. Tonight, I used most of a bottle, mixed with some chunky olives and sweet peppers, to make a nice pasta meal.

I had some prepared Brussels sprouts with balsamic onion from Whole Foods Market (ingredients: sprouts, onions, balsamic vinegar, canola oil, parsley, and salt and pepper - I should make something like this) and started that heating in the toaster oven over low heat. I cut up some olives and sweet peppers into big chunks and added to most of a bottle of the pesto sauce, and also got that warming up.

I started water boiling in a large pot then reduced the heat while I added seashell-shaped "conchiglie" organic pasta made at the Montebello Monastery in Marche, Italy. I then turned the heat back up and cooked till al dente, about 9-10 minutes. I served with the warmed sauce, as well as with a Field Roast Grain Meat Company apple-sage artisanal vegan sausage.