pasta primavera with chicken sausage

Some of the best meals come from cleaning out my refrigerator. After a long day out on the boat with family, I wanted something quick and filling that would amp up our veggie intake. I loosley followed a recipe I found a while ago, but added a few twists to up the flavor, such as sauteing the veggies in the same pan the lean chicken sausage was cooked in. Use whatever veggies you have one hand and mix it up when you want something fresh. You won't be disappointed!

Pasta Primavera with Chicken Sausage

• 8-12 oz. corkscrew or penne pasta, whole grain if possible
• 1/2 lb. broccoli florets or snow peas (or a combination)
• 3 fresh, lean chicken or turkey sausage links (bratwurst size)
• Baby portobello mushrooms (about 10), sliced in half or thirds
• 1/2 small yellow onion, sliced
• 1/2 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1/2 c chopped basil
• 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 oz. herby goat cheese, crumbled
• Salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot full of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost soft. During the last two minutes of cooking, add the broccoli and/or snow peas. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/4 c of cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in another large pot, grill the sausage links in a little olive oil until dark brown and cooked through. Remove from pan and cover in foil. To the pot, add the mushrooms and a little more olive oil. Saute about 4-5 minutes, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add onions and peppers. Saute 4-5 minutes, until just soft. Add the garlic and saute another minute or two.
3. While the onions and peppers cook, slice the sausages into rounds. Add sausage rounds, tomatoes, red pepper, noodles, broccoli and reserved water to the vegetables and stir gently together. Add goat cheese and most of the Parmesan and basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Top with remaining basil and Parmesan and serve.

Note: This recipe is super flexible and will take nearly any type of veggie replacement. Try adding asparagus, spinach, shredded carrot, squash or whatever else you have hanging out in the fridge. Tender veggies should be added to the pot with the tomatoes; firmer, tougher ones should be added with the onions.

cheesy sausage, veggie and pasta skillet

Okay, I admit it. I loooove the new Velveeta cheesy skillet commercials. They are hilarious, and I've found myself proclaiming, "Liquid gooooold!" to anyone who will tolerate me. Not a lot of people.

But while I love the commercials, I have to admit that it's been a really long time since I've had Velveeta. Let's just say that I have too much respect for good cheeses. And maybe it's also because Velveeta isn't actually cheese. Rather, it's a pasteurized process cheese spread. Hmmm.

I'm not going to lie, I did a little research about what Velveeta actually is. It's a pretty complicated product to try to understand, much less explain, so I'm not even going to try. (But if you want to check it out, this was a pretty good site.) This in and of itself makes me nervous.

My point is, I wanted to find an alternative to the easy and quick, one-pot meal. One that packed a punch of flavor with lots of veggies and whole grains. Found it! This one came together in about 30 minutes, using one pot filled with whole-grain pasta, spinach, tomatoes and more. And the sausage can be lean chicken or turkey varieties and no one would be the wiser. Now, that's my kind of cheesy skillet. Enjoy!

Cheesy Sausage, Veggie and Pasta Skillet

• 1 lb. lean Italian turkey sausage, ground
• 1 small onion (or 1/2 large), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 large green pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained 
• 8 oz tomato sauce
• 1/4 tsp fennel seeds 
• 1-1/4 cups hot water
• 8 oz dry whole-grain bowtie pasta, uncooked
• 6 oz fresh spinach leaves
• 1/3 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese 
• Handful fresh, chopped basil
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Crushed red pepper, optional

1. Brown sausage over medium heat with a little olive oil. Remove from pan and drain off any fat. Add onion, garlic and green pepper to pan with a little more olive oil until soft. Salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add sausage back to pan with sauteed veggies, tomatoes, sauce, fennel seeds and water. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Simmer 15 minutes. (Make a salad to go with it!)
3. Stir pasta well to make sure all the noodles are evenly cooked. Add spinach, most of the Parmesan (reserve a tablespoon or two for topping), basil and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, topped with a little basil and cheese.