Ingredients: 

1 box penne pasta

2 chicken sausages

1 shallot

3 cups frozen spinach, thawed

1 14.5oz diced tomatoes no salt added, undrained

1 Tbl dried basil

parmesan cheese to taste 

Directions: 

1. Boil water and add pasta to boil for 5 minute or until al dente

2. In a frying pan add a tablespoon of olive oil.

3. Remove the casing from the chicken sausage, break it up into pieces and saute until well-done, drain and set aside.

4. In the same pan lightly brown the shallot and add the spinach.

5. When the spinach is warm and wilted, add the tomatoes and sausage and cook until hot. Add the dried basil.

6. Mix in the pasta.

7. Serve with a light sprinkle of parmesan cheese. 

GLUTEN FREE PASTA: I used this recipe to try Deboles Gluten-Free whole grain pasta. It was $2.49 for a box but I found a coupon on Whole Food’s website for $1 off, which prompted me to try it. What does gluten-free whole grain pasta taste like? Well, it has the same texture as whole wheat pasta but if I were to use it again, I would definitely cook it less since it got soft faster. These are the ingredients: whole grain brown rice flour, white rice flour, rice bran, organic amaranth flour, organic quinoa flour, vitamin and mineral mix (niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid). It was good and I’m glad we have good gluten-free products available.

Chicken sausage or turkey sausage have less fat than pork or beef sausage. I think tofu would be a great option but I would add salt or Mrs.Dash for added flavor if using tofu.

If you want more vegetables per serving, double the amount of spinach you put in but remember to add another half can to can of tomatoes. I mixed all of it in with the pasta. 

Lactose Free Parmesan: I also tried lactose free parmesan cheese. I found the smell to be stronger than parmesan made from milk but it added a ton of flavor to the pasta dish. 

This made a great lunch the next day!