Sausage and Pasta Skillet

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Contributed by: BMC Teaching Kitchen

Penne pasta with sausage in a shallow white bowl, with herbs, pepeprs and onions

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A nice one-pan meal, and a comfort food for sure. This recipe uses whole wheat pasta and substitutes ground turkey for sausage, providing a heart-healthy twist. There is room for flexibility in the spices and protein you use, so be sure to read the notes for ideas. If you have extra time to prepare this recipe or want to prep a day ahead, try our Turkey Sausage recipe to increase the flavor profile of the ground meat. 

 

Serves:
8 servings
Total Time:
60 minutes
Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
40 minutes

Ingredients


Pasta - 1 lb whole wheat pasta, shape of choice Oil - 1 Tablespoon olive or canola oil Garlic - 1 Tablespoon, minced Ground_Turkey - 1 lb (sub ground pork or beef, 93% lean) Kosher_Salt - ¾ teaspoon (sub adobo, sazon or maggi) Herbs - 1 Tablespoon dried herbs of choice (oregano, rosemary, dried fennel, parsley, Italian seasoning or others) Frozen_Vegetables – 16 oz frozen vegetables of choice Butter - 4 Tablespoons, Earth Balance or other butter substitute Parmesan - ½ cup, grated (sub cheese of choice)

Instructions

Step 1
Cook pasta according to box instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water by scooping it out into a cup or bowl before straining the pasta. Salting the pasta water is optional and depends on your health goals and flavor preference.
Step 2
While the pasta is cooking, place oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add garlic to the skillet and stir for 30 seconds. The garlic should become aromatic and slightly browned. Optionally, add red pepper flakes or fresh, minced hot pepper when you add the garlic.
Step 3
Add the ground turkey, salt, and any salt-free dried herbs or spices you’d like to use. Mix well with the garlic to prevent garlic from burning. Let the meat brown, turning every 1-2 minutes until cooked through. It is cooked when no more pink is visible.
Step 4
Add the frozen vegetables to the skillet, stir well. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the skillet to let the vegetables steam for about five minutes, or until thawed.
Step 5
Add the pasta and pasta water to the skillet. Turn the heat up to high and let the water come to a simmer. Once simmering, add the butter, stirring to coat the pasta. Turn off heat and serve with parmesan on top.

Notes

For a vegetarian version, substitute 1 block, firm or extra-firm tofu or 1 package of tempeh for the ground turkey. Crumble the tofu or tempeh with your hands before adding to the skillet.  

Instead of dried herbs, you may wish to substitute ¼ cup of sofrito, green seasoning, epis, or another seasoning blend. Note that this will increase the sodium content unless they are homemade without salt.  

Many of us don't get enough fiber: Add in a handful of chopped, leafy greens (spinach, collards, arugula, broccoli rabe) in the final step, or serve with chopped, toasted walnuts on top to increase the fiber content of this meal. Alternatively, serves this dish alongside a tasty salad. 

Nutrition Information

Calories:
430 Calories
Fat:
17
Saturated Fat:
4.5
Carbohydrates:
Net Carb: 45
Dietary Fiber:
4
Protein:
25
Sodium:
330