Eat Your Greens--on Your Pasta

After a hectic day at the office or one overseeing homework and carpools, it’s good to have a family-pleasing dish you can rely on.

For this pasta with spinach sauce, my preference is to use mild turkey sausage, though any type of Italian sausage will do. Another bonus: The spinach needn’t be defrosted or drained. If your family likes things spicy, toss in dried red pepper flakes. And this recipe doubles or triples easily--which is good for unexpected guests.

Start with a salad of diced cucumbers, chopped red onion and fresh basil tossed with a balsamic vinaigrette. Finish with a tangy fruit sorbet garnished with fresh berries, and you’ve got a great meal.

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Menu

Cucumber, Red Onion and Basil Salad

Fusilli With Creamy Spinach Sauce

Fruit Sorbet With Fresh Berries

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Fusilli With Creamy Spinach Sauce

Active Work and Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Use your favorite pasta shape in place of the fusilli, if you’d like.

Salt

1 pound fusilli pasta

1 1/2 pounds mild Italian turkey sausage

1/2 cup Marsala wine

1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 (10-ounce package) frozen leaf or chopped spinach

1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth

1/2 cup low-fat milk

2 tablespoons flour

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Fresh basil, chopped, for garnish

* Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook fusilli according to package directions until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside in serving bowl.

* Remove sausage from casing and break into chunks; each sausage should yield 6 to 8 pieces. Cook sausage in large skillet over medium-high heat, turning so all sides brown, about 10 minutes. Add wine and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until all liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and spinach. Break apart spinach as it cooks. Continue cooking until most of liquid from spinach has evaporated.

* Whisk together broth, milk and flour in bowl until flour has dissolved. Add to skillet and combine well with spinach and sausage. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally until sauce just begins to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

* To serve, pour sauce atop pasta in bowl and sprinkle with some cheese. Garnish with basil and pass remaining cheese at table.

4 servings. Each serving:

620 calories; 1,406 mg sodium; 115 mg cholesterol; 16 grams fat; 87 grams carbohydrates; 44 grams protein; 0.67 gram fiber.

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Game Plan

30 minutes before: Bring water to boil. Cook pasta; set aside.

20 minutes before: Begin cooking sausage. Finish sauce.

Just before serving: Top pasta with sauce and garnish with cheese and basil.

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Ingredients

Staples

1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth

Flour

Garlic

Milk

Parmesan cheese

Pasta

Marsala wine

Shopping List

Fresh basil

1 pound Italian turkey sausage

1 (12-ounce) package frozen leaf or chopped spinach