Pasta is a go-to meal for many people, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. Combining simple, fresh ingredients with pasta is an easy way to make your dinner more interesting than heating up a jar of sauce. In this recipe, I used red pepper and fennel lamb sausage, but regular Italian sausage would work just as well, as would any other savory sausage. My favorite way to create a simple sauce without a lot of fat is by reducing some chicken broth in the pan with the veggies (as you may have noticed), but adding in a tablespoon or so of butter at the end, while unnecessary, gives the sauce a little more flavor and richness.

I served this with a simple arugula salad with heirloom tomatoes, sliced shallots, and feta cheese with a homemade balsamic vinaigrette

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Lamb Sausage and Swiss Chard:

Ingredients -

Serves 4-6

1 lb whole wheat spaghetti (or other pasta of choice)

1 lb of lamb sausage, or other spicy sausage

2 large shallots, sliced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 roasted peppers, either jarred or roasted yourself*

1-14 oz can of cannellini beans

½ cup low sodium chicken broth

1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves only, sliced

1 tablespoon butter

¼ cup grated parmesan

Directions -

1. In a large pot of salted, boiling water, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving one cup of the pasta water.

2. In a large skillet, heat a small amount of oil (the sausage will render a lot of fat) over medium-high heat. Sauté the lamb sausage until browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove lamb with a slotted spoon and drain most of the fat, leaving about a tablespoon.

3. Lower the heat to medium. Sauté shallots for three minutes then add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Add in peppers and beans and sauté for another five minutes. Add in chicken broth and deglaze the pan. Add in the Swiss chard, and cover the pan to wilt the chard, about 3-5 minutes.

4. Add in butter and stir to combine. Add in drained pasta and cheese, using reserved pasta water to moisten if it looks to dry.

5. Serve with extra grated parmesan on the side, if desired.

* This can be done by putting the peppers under the broiler, or over the open flame on the stove until the skin of the peppers are completely charred. Then, put in a zip lock bag for about 10 minutes—this makes it easier to peel the charred skin off of the peppers.

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