Chicken Sausage and Provolone Penne Bake

Makes 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Sarah

Change the flavors in this dish by choosing different versions of the chicken sausage.

ingredients

1 pound uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 (12-ounce) package sweet basil and pine nut chicken sausage (such as Gerhard’s), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
2
Preheat oven to 350°.
3
Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, sausage, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add tomato paste and next 5 ingredients (through diced tomatoes); cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.
4
Combine pasta and tomato mixture; spoon into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cheeses. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutritional Information

1
Calories: 453 (30% from fat); Fat: 15.3g (sat 6.6g, mono 5.7g, poly 2.1g); Protein: 24.4g; Carbohydrate: 55.3g; Fiber: 4.6g; Cholesterol: 56mg
2
Iron: 2.1mg; Sodium: 954mg; Calcium: 319mg