This Recipe is part of the Lighthearted Eating 5 Heart-Healthy Recipes
This is a dish that often comes to mind when I stop at the store at 6 p.m. wondering what to cook for dinner. I like to use hot Italian sausages or, for a less spicy version, sweet Italian sausage or some of each. You can chop the onions and garlic in the food processor to save time. In tomato season, I use three or four fresh tomatoes instead of canned.
Ingredients
1lb hot Italian sausage
1lb rigatoni, penne or corkscrew pasta
1 tsp canola or olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 sweet red peppers, cut in chunks
2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms
1 can (28 oz/796 mL) diced tomatoes
2 tsp dried basil
2 tsp dried oregano
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, dill or basil
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to taste
Directions
1. In skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink in centre, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well; cut into thin slices.
2. Meanwhile, in large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until tender but firm; drain and return to pot.
3. In nonstick pan, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, red peppers and mushrooms; cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil and oregano; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Add cooked sausage, and pepper to taste. Pour over pasta; toss to mix. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan; toss again. Pass extra Parmesan at the table.
Serves 8
Per Serving: 396 calories, 17 g protein, 13 g total fat, 4 g saturated fat, 23 mg cholesterol, 53 g carbohydrate, 5 g fibre, 624 mg sodium, 522 mg potassium
Variation: Substitute 1 lb (500 g) large cooked shrimp for the sausage, or use 1/2 lb (250 g) each cooked shrimp and sausage. Add shrimp to tomato mixture when adding cooked sausage.
Excerpted from Lighthearted at Home by Anne Lindsay. Photography by Lorella Zanelli. Copyright © 2010 by Anne Lindsay & Associates Ltd. Excerpted by permission of Key Porter. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. Buy the book!
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