17 February 2009
Wrapping up the day with a small meal… I wasn’t in the mood to cook anything elaborate and this is one of my standbys for lazy weekday nights. I made this in about 20 minutes, with all of 5 minutes hands-on time. Again, cooking doesn’t have to be complicated. The key is combining fresh ingredients (like the spinach) with pre-made ones (like the sauce).
Whole Wheat Pasta with Spicy Spinach & Sausage Sauce (how’s THAT for an alliteration?)
You’ll need:
- Whole wheat pasta
- Lots of spinach - you can use frozen or fresh
- Jar of your favorite red sauce (I used Newman’s Own Fra Diarolo sauce, which is spicy)
- 4-5 turkey or chicken sausages (I used Trader Joe’s Chipotle Pepper), cut into bite-size pieces
While you’re boiling the water for the pasta, saute the sausage, spinach, and sauce with a touch of olive oil. Add whatever spices you want. I actually didn’t add any this time because I loved the flavor of the Newman’s sauce. Simmer the sauce for 5-10 minutes while the pasta finishes cooking, until everything’s hot, then serve over the pasta with a little parmigiano reggiano. Kids, it doesn’t get much easier than that.
If you’re watching your calories, keep the portion of pasta to around one cup and make sure you get lots of protein-filled sausage and healthy spinach on your plate. A portion with a cup of pasta and around 3/4 cup of the sauce is right around 400-500 calories, depending on the sauce and sausage you use.
For dessert? One small square of 70% cacao dark chocolate.
