6
Serves
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes
A small amount of lean turkey sausage goes a long way in imparting a full flavor to this quick pasta sauce. We’ve boosted the fiber with cannellini beans and the vegetable content with vibrant Swiss chard, which cooks conveniently in the pasta water.
1 link (4 ounces/125 grams) hot Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1 teaspoon olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion (1 small)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (15 ounces/398 milliliters) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 can (8 ounces/213 milliliters) no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 can (19 or 15 ounces/540 or 398 milliliters) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup water
Freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) whole wheat pasta, fusilli, penne, or rigatoni
1 bunch (1 pound/450 grams) Swiss chard, stems trimmed (see Tip), leaves washed, and torn into bite-size pieces
6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil for cooking pasta. Cook the sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, crumbling the sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.
2. Add the oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 to 20 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes and mash with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato sauce, beans, water, and browned sausage. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, at a lively simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until flavors have blended, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with pepper.
3. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and stir to immerse. Cook until the pasta is just tender and the chard has wilted, 3 to 5 minutes longer. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese. One serving is 1 1/3 cups pasta and sauce and 1 tablespoon cheese.
Per serving: 390 calories, 19 g protein, 65 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 409 mg sodium.
• The celery-like stems of Swiss chard are edible and have a pleasant, mild taste. Cut them into bite-size pieces and steam or boil until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Leftovers? Transform them into a pasta gratin. Spread the leftovers in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Moisten with a little water and top with grated Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, at 425°F (220°C) until the top is golden and crusty, 25 to 30 minutes.