Greek-Style Pasta with Sausage

This is another recipe from that "Biggest Loser" magazine I've been cooking from lately. Some of these ingredients didn't appeal to me or are things I've never tried before (like feta), but the picture looks amazingly delish, so I thought I'd try it. I wasn't nuts about the dish originally, but it got better the longer it sat in the fridge (kind of like a good chili). It also doesn't have any protein in it, and I'm a carnivore. Adding the sausage to the pasta rounds out the meal for me, and the flavors are incredible together. I did modify the recipe to my taste and what I had on hand. I'll note any changes.

Greek-Style Pasta

6 oz. whole grain penne or fusilli

2 t. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 T. chopped garlic

1 red bell pepper, chopped

3 c. (28 oz.) fire-roasted tomatoes

1 pkg. (8 oz.) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed & cut lengthwise

1/4 c. crumbled low-fat feta cheese

8 kalamata (or other black) olives, sliced

1 T. fresh lemon zest

Fresh Italian parsley or oregano

Bistro Sensations Chicken Sausage -- Smoked Mozzarella, Artichoke, & Garlic (3P+ each)

Prepare pasta al dente according to package directions. Drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 5 minutes, or until soft and just starting to brown. Add garlic and simmer 1 minute longer (do not brown garlic). Add bell pepper and cook just until softened. Add tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Add artichokes and cook 1 minute longer, or until just heated. Pour sauce into large mixing bowl and add pasta. Toss lightly and top with cheese, olives, and lemon zest. Divide among serving bowls. Garnish with herbs and serve hot or at room temperature.

Yield: 8 servings [1 c.] (4P+)

Notes: I used Hunt's canned fire roasted tomatoes. I omitted the artichoke hearts. I used garlic stuffed green olives instead of black/kalamata because that's what I had on hand. I also left the lemon zest and herbs out because I didn't have those ingredients. When I added the chicken sausage, I just sliced one link and added it to one serving of leftover pasta. Next time, I might slice the whole 4-pack and add it right into the pasta from the beginning. You can get the Bistro Sensations Chicken Sausages at Walmart or Sam's Club.