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450-g pkg short pasta, such as fusilli, rotini or penne
1 tsp vegetable oil
500 g hot Italian turkey sausages, about 4, or sausages of your choice
1 small red onion
1 green bell pepper
1 fennel bulb
2 cups tomato sauce
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, from 10 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large wide frying pan set over medium heat. Prick sausages in several places and add to pan. Cook and turn frequently until browned on all sides and fairly firm to the touch, from 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside on a cutting board. Do not discard fat in pan.
While sausages are browning, cut onion in half length-wise, then slice into thin strips. Seed and core pepper, then cut into bite-size strips. If using fennel, remove core, any brown spots and dried ends. Slice fennel into thin bite-size strips.
After removing sausages from pan, add onion, pepper and fennel to fat in pan. You will need about 2 teaspoons (10 mL) fat in pan, so add a little more oil, if necessary. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Meanwhile, slice sausages into 1/2-inch (1-cm) rounds. Add to pan along with pasta sauce and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer to develop flavours, from 3 to 5 minutes.
Drain pasta and stir with sausage mixture until noodles are evenly coated. Taste, then add salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately.
Calories 489, Protein 22.7g, Carbohydrates 74.1g, Fat 11.2g, Fibre 6.7g, Sodium 1258mg.
A light alternative to most regular sausages, turkey sausage comes in a variety of flavours. Try hearty Italian with this spicy combo--and don't forget a bottle of robust red wine and crusty Italian bread.