Scrumptious Sundays

Penne Rigate with Spicy Sausage 

and Zucchini in Tomato Cream Sauce

Serves 4, 45 minutes; 12 WW Points Plus

Courtesy of Cooking Light Magazine, October 2012

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked penne rigate pasta

6 ounces hot turkey Italian sausage, casings removed

12 ounces zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

Dash of sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Cooking spray

3 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided (about 3/4 cup)

1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided (about 1/4 cup)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain; set aside.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage to pan, and sauté for 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Using a slotted spoon, remove sausage from pan. Wipe drippings from pan with a paper towel. Add zucchini to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Add oregano and next 4 ingredients (through sugar); sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add vinegar; cook for 30 seconds or until the liquid evaporates. Drain tomatoes in a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1 cup tomato liquid. Crush tomatoes with hands, and add to zucchini mixture. Add reserved 1 cup tomato liquid; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat; stir in cream. Add pasta and sausage to tomato mixture; stir to combine.

4. Spoon half of pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch glass or ceramic baking dish, or divide half evenly among 4 individual dishes coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle 1 ounce mozzarella and 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano over pasta. Top with remaining pasta mixture; sprinkle evenly with remaining 2 ounces mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until browned and bubbly.

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

Calories: 450

Fat: 14.1g

Saturated fat: 6.8g

Monounsaturated fat: 3.8g

Polyunsaturated fat: 1.5g

Protein: 26.9g

Carbohydrate: 55.6g

Fiber: 5g

Cholesterol: 60mg

Iron: 5.2mg

Sodium: 508mg

Calcium: 347mg