Italian Sausage 'n' Peppers Supper

Mmm Mmm Mmm! This recipe was quite delicious!

My husband and I started an 8 week outdoor fitness boot camp through the gym. The class meets from 6pm-7pm, so over the next 8 weeks I will be focusing on recipes that either take little time to prepare or can be prepared in advance so that it isn't 8pm by the time we're sitting down for dinner!!

This was a wonderfully simple, healthy and delicious dinner! I cut even more time off by purchasing the Butterball Turkey Smoked Sausage that comes already cooked, so all I had to do was heat it up and toss it in with the vegetables! What great flavor! The combination of the sausage and peppers and the different spices was very tasty! One thing I really liked about this meal was that it left us feeling satisfied without that stuffed, full feeling.

The recipe calls for penne pasta, but we already had some shells in the cabinet, so I just used those. The cookbook says that you can substitute the basil, oregano and thyme with 1-1/2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning, and that if you want to add some kick to the dish, add some crushed red pepper flakes of cayenne pepper. Enjoy!

Italian Sausage 'n' Peppers Supper
Taste of Home: Everyday Light Meals
Published by Reiman Media Group, LLC in 2010.

Prep/Total time: 30 minutes  Yield: 5 servings

2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1 pound turkey Italian sausage links
1/2 cup each julienned sweet red, yellow, and green pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) diced tomatoes, drained

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large nonstick skillet, brown sausage over medium heat; drain. Cut sausage into 1/4-in. slices. In the same skillet, saute the peppers, basil, garlic, oregano, thyme, caraway seeds and sliced sausage in oil until peppers are crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes. Cook and stir until heated through. Drain pasta; add to skillet and mix well.