By Christie Vanover | Published March 29, 2015 | Last Updated July 3, 2023
I’m a huge fan of smoked sausage. It’s so easy to cook on a busy weeknight, because technically, it’s already cooked. I love throwing the links on the grill or sautéing them up in a pan with peppers and onions.

I’m picky about my smoked sausage though. I always buy Hillshire Farm. I’ve tried other brands when I had a coupon, but they’re just not the same. The Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausages are meaty with perfect texture. I’ve found the other brands to be greasier with a mushy feel.
When Hillshire Farm asked me to create a new recipe for them, I was brought back to my childhood, when my mom used to add smoked sausage to her famous spaghetti sauce. It was so good; we were always going back for seconds…although I think dad always managed to get the most sausage.
Thinking of mom, I kept with the pasta tradition for this recipe, but decided to include a little French inspiration to my dish. When living in Belgium, I discovered lardon, which is basically cubed bacon. The edges crisp up beautifully, and the little nuggets nestle into every bite.
By dicing the sausage link, I created my own version of lardon – a smoked sausage lardon. I crisped the cubes up in a skillet and then married them with fresh vegetables, parmesan cheese, a little butter and freshly cooked pasta.
Dinner was ready in about 30 minutes, and it was so much better than traditional chicken fettuccine alfredo. In keeping with tradition, we all went back for seconds.
Smoked Sausage Alfredo
Ingredients
- 8 ozs fettuccine noodles uncooked
- 1 pkg Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage any variety, diced
- 1 cup crimini mushrooms chopped
- ⅓ cup sweet yellow onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup milk
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cook the fettuccine noodles in salted boiling water. Drain when al dente.
- Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat, about 20 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms, onions and garlic and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the butter, milk and Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.
- Add the cooked fettuccine noodles into the pan. Toss until coated.
- Divide into portions and garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.
Nutrition
The nutrition information is an estimate created using an online nutrition calculator
#spon: I’m required to disclose a relationship between our site and Hillshire. This could include Hillshire providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.
Hillshire Farm will provide a 100% refund for every package of meat that a consumer is not satisfied with.
Ines Di Lelio says
HISTORY OF ALFREDO DI LELIO CREATOR IN 1908 OF “FETTUCCINE ALL’ALFREDO” (OR “FETTUCCINE ALFREDO”), NOW SERVED BY HIS NEPHEW INES DI LELIO, AT THE RESTAURANT “IL VERO ALFREDO” (“ALFREDO DI ROMA”) IN ROME, PIAZZA AUGUSTO IMPERATORE 30
With reference of your article I have the pleasure to tell you the history of our grandfather Alfredo Di Lelio, who is the creator of “fettuccine all’Alfredo” (or “fettuccine Alfredo”) in 1908 in restaurant run by his mother Angelina in Rome, Piazza Rosa (Piazza disappeared in 1910 following the construction of the Galleria Colonna / Sordi). The trattoria of Piazza Rosa is the birthplace of fettuccine all’Alfredo
Alfredo di Lelio opened the restaurant “Alfredo” in 1914 in a street in central Rome, after leaving the restaurant of his mother Angelina. In this local spread the fame, first to Rome and then in the world, of “fettuccine all’Alfredo”.
In 1943, during the war, Di Lelio sold the restaurant to others outside his family.
In 1950 Alfredo Di Lelio decided to reopen with his son Armando his restaurant in Piazza Augusto Imperatore n.30 “Il Vero Alfredo” (“Alfredo di Roma”), which is now managed by his nephew Ines, with the famous “gold cutlery”” (fork and spoon gold) donated in 1927 by two well-known American actors Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks (in gratitude for the hospitality).
See also the site of “Il Vero Alfredo” http://www.ilveroalfredo.it (with news about franchising) .
I must clarify that other restaurants “Alfredo” in Rome do not belong to the family tradition of “Il Vero Alfredo” in Rome.
I inform you that the restaurant “Il Vero Alfredo” is in the registry of “Historic Shops of Excellence” of the City of Rome Capitale.
Best regards Ines Di Lelio