Spicy Sausage & Peppers Penne

Penne pasta is tossed with colorful peppers, zesty sausage and a seasoned tomato sauce—now that's Italian!

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces uncooked penne pasta
  • 1 pound hot Italian turkey sausage (about 4 links)
  • each: medium green, red and yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
  • 2   garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in sauce, undrained
  • 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
  • 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning Mix
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions in (4-qt.) Casserole; drain and keep warm.

  2. Meanwhile, cook sausage in (12-in.) Skillet over medium-high heat 14-16 minutes or until sausage is lightly browned and no longer pink, turning occasionally. Remove sausages from skillet; cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces and set aside. Cut bell peppers into 1/4-inch strips using Chef's Knife. Coarsely chop onion using Food Chopper.

  3. In same skillet, cook bell peppers, onion and garlic pressed with Garlic Press over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until peppers are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add sausage, tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian Seasoning Mix. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until heated through.

  4. Place pasta in large bowl; pour sauce mixture over pasta, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield:

  • 6  servings

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 330, Total Fat 10 g, Saturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 50 mg, Carbohydrate 40 g, Protein 21 g, Sodium 980 mg, Fiber 3 g

U.S. Diabetic exchanges per serving:

2 starch, 2 medium-fat meat, 1 vegetable (2 carb)

Cook's Tips:

We've chosen penne for this recipe, which are straight tubes of macaroni that are cut on the diagonal. Other sturdy shapes such as mostaccioli (short tubes), ziti (curved tubes) or rotini (spirals) can be used in this recipe.

Perfectly cooked pasta should be al dente-tender but still firm to the bite. Test pasta for doneness before the time stated on the package.

Get a head start on tomorrow's dinner by cooking extra pasta. Drain the pasta thoroughly, then toss it with 1 teaspoon of oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together. Place in an airtight container or resealable plastic food storage bag and refrigerate up to 3 days. Use it in salads or soups, or toss it with your favorite sauce.

Italian seasoning can be substituted for the Italian Seasoning Mix, if desired.

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