Chicken Sausage Pasta

Mr. FoodWhore works a couple nights a week, so that leaves me on my own for dinner.  This was one of those nights when I had no set plan, and I turned to the fridge for some inspiration.  I was going to just make pasta and veggies when I remembered I had found some chicken sausage in the freezer the day before.  This was a great, easy meal for a weeknight. And so full of flavor too!

Ingredients
2/3 cup penne pasta (or your favorite kind)
6 asparagus stalks (ends chopped off, cut in small pieces)
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 chicken sausage, sliced thinly
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Boil water and cook your pasta; When done, drain and set aside to keep warm.

2. In a large skillet (or grill pan), heat non-stick spray to medium high and toss in the garlic and onions. Cook until slightly softened/browned. 

3. Add the carrots, tomatoes, and asparagus. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add the sausage and the herbs and spices and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until sausage is done. (My sausage was pre-cooked and just had to be heated through. Cook times may vary if your sausage is uncooked.)

5. Place the pasta in a bowl and top with sausage and veggies.

Serving Suggestion: You could easily substitute the chicken sausage with shrimp or chicken breast or no meat at all.  Rice could also be used in place of the pasta. This is an easy dish that can be tweaked based on what's in your kitchen that night. I've made several variations over the past few weeks.

Makes 1 serving; Approximately 475 calories

Bon Appetit!
The FoodWhore