Zucchini Sausage Pasta



Growing up in the country, or at least my part of North Dakota, meant you'd have an endless supply of two things: rhubarb and zucchini.  I don't think we could have gived it away if we wanted to.  Luckily, rhubarb freezes pretty well and we had quite a few recipes for zucchini.  This is a bit of a twist on something that we used to make to try using up some of the zucchini.  In the old version we used summer sausage and a quite a bit of it.  In this one I used turkey sausage, so it has the same sort of flavor, but less fat and calories.  For me and the husband, I add more of the zucchini to my bowl so he doesn't have as much.

 

 

Ingredients

6 ounces pasta, cooked
2 small zucchini, halved lengthwise then sliced into 1/4 thick half circles
7 oz turkey link sausage, halved lengthwise then sliced into 1/4 thick half circles
2 tablespoons light butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 cup milk

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the directions and set aside.
In a large pan, lightly saute the sausage and zucchini together for about five minutes, just until the zucchini started to brown. Set aside.
Melt the butter in the same pan used to saute the sausage and zucchini. Add the flour, garlic and onion powders and stir until it forms a paste. Whisk in the milk a bit at a time to make sure there's no clumps. Let it simmer for a few minutes, then add the sausage mixture and pasta. Toss to coat, let it sit on the heat until the sauce is the thickness you'd like.
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 324.6
• Total Fat: 9.6 g
• Cholesterol: 47.1 mg
• Sodium: 552.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 44.3 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.0 g
• Protein: 16.8 g



 

 

Spinach Pesto Chicken Pasta



This would be a great dish to really make your own.  As I was putting it together I kept thinking of different things I could do to modify it in the future, like adding some cherry tomatoes or bacon.  Maybe topping it with a little extra shredded parmesan.  It's just around 300 calories, so as long as you don't go crazy you can add a few extras and still have it fit into your diet.

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh spinach
1/2 cup fresh shredded parmesan
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 boneless skinless chicke breast, diced
3 cups cooked spaghetti noodles

Directions

Combine the basil, spinach, parmesan, garlic and onion powders together in a food processor, blend until smooth.
In a large frying pan, cook the chicken breast until lightly browned. Add the pesto and spaghetti noodles, stir until well mixed. You may have to add a little water so the pesto coats the spaghetti and chicken better (use the water used to cook the pasta).
 
Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 293.0
• Total Fat: 4.6 g
• Cholesterol: 52.2 mg
• Sodium: 208.2 mg
• Total Carbs: 35.9 g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.5 g
• Protein: 26.7 g

 

 

Smoky Sausage Pasta

This is something to throw together real quick when you forgot to plan for dinner, like I did tonight.  I actually had the sauce done before the pasta was.  It smells fantastic while it's on the stove and tastes just as good.  By sauting the sausage for a little bit before adding the rest of the ingredients you develop the flavor a little more.

 

Ingredients

6 ounces of pasta, cooked
10 ounces turkey smoked sausage
1 can of sodium free diced tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder

Directions

Cook the pasta according to the package. Slice the turkey smoked sausage into 1/4 inch rounds and lightly saute in a large pan. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, sour cream, worchestershire sauce, garlic powder and onion powder to the pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about ten minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Stir in the noodle and serve.

Nutritional Info
• Servings Per Recipe: 4
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 359.2
• Total Fat: 9.3 g
• Cholesterol: 67.9 mg
• Sodium: 1,079.3 mg
• Total Carbs: 49.1 g
• Dietary Fiber: 3.5 g
• Protein: 19.4 g

 

Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

I was in the mood for something fresh, so I came up with this.  I had some leftover cream cheese from another recipe and threw it in to add a little more creaminess.  I used real parmesan, the type that comes in a wedge and you grate yourself.  It's more expensive but you don't need to use as much of it.  I like throwing veggies into pretty much anything I make, partially because it's easier to get my husband to eat them if they have a little sauce on them.  Its also makes dinner stretch a little further.

Ingredients


4 ounces uncooked pasta, cooked according to directions
2 boneless skinless chicken breast (about 10 ounces), cut into bite sized pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped onion
10 ounces package of broccoli, cooked
3 tablespoons grated parmesan
15 fresh basil leaves, snipped into 1/4 inch pieces
2 small lemons
2 ounces cream cheese

Directions


Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, set aside. Steam the broccoli (I just use the microwave steamer bags), set aside.

In a small bowl combine the snipped basil, parmesan, the zest and juice from the lemons with the cream cheese. Set aside.

In a large pan, saute the chicken, garlic and onions together. Add the pasta and broccoli to the pan and let them warm a little. Add the cream cheese mixture, stirring until everything is evenly coated. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Info


Servings Per Recipe: 4

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 217.2
Total Fat: 2.6 g
Cholesterol: 39.3 mg
Sodium: 311.2 mg
Total Carbs: 29.2 g
Dietary Fiber: 6.0 g
Protein: 23.3 g