Quick, Easy, and Healthy

Sausage and Penne

1 cup whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

½ pound turkey smoked sausage, diced

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ground mustard

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 ¼ cup low fat milk

1/3 cup part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

In a large saucepan, cook pasta according to package directions, adding vegetables during the last 6 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile, in a large skillet coated with cooking spray, brown sausage; remove from skillet and keep war,. In a small bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, mustard and pepper flakes; gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Add milk mixture to the skillet; stirring to loosen browned bits from pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. rain pasta and vegetables; stir into the pan. Add cheese and reserved sausage; cook and stir until cheese is melted.

I made this recipe for my husband and I about 2 weeks ago, and we both really liked it. Because of my busy schedule, I like to find recipes that are quick to put together and cook. But I also want to make sure they are healthy. I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet cookbook. This recipe uses turkey smoked sausage, and we couldn’t tell the difference between that and regular smoked sausage, it still had a wonderful flavor. The sausage gives this pasta dish a little twist, normally you would cook with chicken or ground beef, so it was nice to try something different, and we both liked it. Enjoy!