Experiment Numero UNO!

Turkey Sausage and Arugula Pasta

Inspired by Eating Well (www.eatingwell.com)

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/turkey_sausage_arugula_pasta.html

For my first experiment, I chose a simple and light dish found on Eating Well's website, see the above link. I was drawn to this recipe because ONE, I love arugula and TWO, of the ingredients that were existing in my fridge. It proved a tasty first experiment.

I tweaked the recipe for my own personal delight and ease. The recipe called for spiral or twisty whole wheat noodles, I chose Debole's Organic Spinach Fettucini (another chance to add some green to the dish, I'll take it! annnndddd... its all I had in the pantry). Instead of turkey sausage, I used Trader Joe’s Sausage-less Sausage. I really enjoy the fake sausage and the Italian flavored Tofurky. However what  my boyfriend (guinea pig / control / taste tester / one lucky son of a B) and I derived mid meal was that I should have used real turkey sausage (*see asterisk below).
Lesson learned... sometimes the fattier choice is best!
ON a scale of 1-5, I give this meal a 3 Its a tasty, SIMPLE, and health conscious meal!

My Sausage-lees Sausage and Arugula Pasta

Cook Time: 30 min (if that!)

Serves: bout 3

1 box Spinach Fettucini

3 links of Sausage-less sausage

2 cloves garlic

8 oz arugula (half of one of those plastic boxes)

20 or so cherry tomatoes cut in half

1/2 c Italian Pecorino Romano or Parmesan finely shredded

TT (to taste) Pepper and Salt

Oil (olive or whatever) to coat pan

1/3c chicken stock

Boiling water for your fettucini, cut the "sausage" links and begin to saute them in an oiled pan. Cut tomatoes and add those to the pan once the sausages have browned a bit. Add the arugula last maybe a minute before you pull off burner, will wilt quickly! Cook until tomatoes are tender and sausage browned. On the side in a bowl, mix the cheese salt and pepper and slowly add to the fettucini, mixing in first cheese, then chicken stock (just enough to thin the cheese along the noodle) making a sauce in your pan on your fettucini. (*The original recipe called for "the cooking liquid" which I assumed was the turkey sausage grease. I grabbed the chicken stock in my fridge because the sausage-less sausage offered little to no "liquid.) Plate pasta, top with the sauteed mixture in your pan and ENJOY:)