Turkey Sausage and Arugula Pasta

I found this recipe on Eatingwell.com when I was looking for a pasta that was light and not too heavy/creamy/unhealthy.

Just made it last night, and it came out very light, so if you're looking for a creamy dense pasta, this is not the winner!

Note: I didn't really follow the recipe word for word, but I don't think it makes that big of a difference since you just need to make sure the sausage and pasta are cooked. The rest is up to you. I may add in cremini mushrooms next time I make this to add some more veggies. My own commentary is in indigo.

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces whole-wheat short pasta, such as shells or twists (I used rotini, whatever you have on hand)
  
• 8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage links, removed from casings (I used spicy chicken italian)
  
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 8 cups arugula, or baby spinach (only had 6 cups. ohwell)
  
• 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes (used 1 medium-sized chopped tomato)
  
• 1/2 cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan cheese, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Recipe:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta until just tender, 9 to 11 minutes, or according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon (I was lazy and chopped up the sausages before cooking) , until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, arugula (or spinach) and tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, until the greens wilt and the tomatoes begin to break down, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and keep warm.
3. Combine 1/2 cup cheese, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Measure out 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid; drain the pasta. Whisk the cooking liquid and oil into the cheese mixture; add the pasta and toss to combine. Serve the pasta topped with the sausage mixture and an extra sprinkle of cheese, if desired.

Per serving (this makes 6 servings): 352 calories; 9 g fat ( 3 g sat , 2 g mono ); 26 mg cholesterol; 47 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 18 g protein; 6 g fiber; 382 mg sodium; 379 mg potassium.

White Wine Pasta

Recipe based off: http://dailyunadventures.com/2009/08/shrimp-and-white-wine-pasta-sauce-with.html (photo also credited to that site)

I had some white wine left over from the cioppino, so I wanted to use it to make a white wine pasta sauce. I used the recipe above as an outline, but I didn't follow it that closely, so the end product didn't look exactly like the photo. I used onions instead of leeks because I already had an onion at home, and I didn't feel like stopping at the store to pick up parsley, so I used dried basil and oregano instead.

I had rushed home after a long day at work, later than expected, and rushed to finish the sauce, making a ton of mistakes in the process. First of all, I used more white wine than I probably should have (and thus had to simmer it for longer than I wanted to), and secondly, I put in WAY too much dried basil because the cap had fallen off as I was pouring! However, in the end, the sauce was actually really yummy with the extra herbs and wine, so the mistakes really didn't matter.

I ate the sauce with a whole wheat fettuccine, which was really yummy.

Ingredients:

• 4 tomatoes, cut into small-ish pieces (I chopped each into about 6 pieces)
• 1 big chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• Olive oil
• about 1 cup of white wine (I used a sauvignon blanc)
• Herbs: Basil & oregano (chopped if it's fresh, but I actually used dry herbs)
• De-veined shrimp
• Salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

1. Sautee the chopped onions and minced garlic with the olive oil.

2. When the onions are cooked and soft, add the tomatoes and sautee until soft.

3. Pour in the white wine, herbs, and simmer until the mixture has reduced to a sauce. Put in salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. (The sugar brings out the tanginess of the tomatoes.)

4. Mix in the shrimp until they are cooked (about 2 mins, or until the shrimp is curled and firm).