Third times a charm!

I recently purchased some 'gourmet' tomato and mozzarella chicken sausage, and I thought I bet this would taste really good over some pasta with olive oil, garlic, sliced tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.  And I was right, it was fantastic.

I cut up three sausage links, and sauteed them in a pan with garlic (a heaping teaspoon of the minced variety...I really love garlic) and a little olive oil.  Cook the whole grain pasta according to the package.  And while those two things were going on the stove, I sliced some tomatoes and cut up some fresh motz.  Once the pasta was cooked I tossed it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.  Added the sauteed sausage, tomatoes and motz to complete the dish.

Later in the week, I thought that dish I made the other night was really good, but I have some extra veggies I need to use before they go bad.  So, I started with the same base as the meal mentioned above except I used two sausage links instead of three and added broccoli and yellow squash.  I sauteed the broccoli and squash in the same pan with the sausage.  I ran out of fresh motz, so I used some grated motz I had in the fridge.  Another great dish with a good serving of veggies!

A few days after the second meal listed, I remembered I had bought spinach to throw into a pasta dish as some point.  I know what you're thinking, wow, that is a lot of pasta for one family to eat in such a short amount of time.  Well, James and I had been running to get in shape for the Janis Bresnahan 5K Run for Education which took place this past weekend, so I thought it didn't hurt that we were getting our share of carbs.  So I took the second dish from above, and merely added chopped spinach to it.  This time I had very little grated motz left, so I garnished it with grated Parmesan.    

All in all, we found all three meals to be very delicious.  However, the more veggies you can add to a dish the better.  They are filling, have tons of vitamins and nutrients, and are low in calories.  You really can't go wrong.  And since the veggies fill you up quicker, there's leftovers for lunch the next day!

As for pasta, it's okay to enjoy pasta multiple times a week if you are smart about it.  I try to buy whole grain pasta, and I pay close attention to portion sizes.   Measure your pasta before boiling it.  And if you can some exercise in after dinner that helps too!  Maybe you didn't run this weekend's 5K, doesn't mean you can't start training now for next year's event!

We eat a lot of tomatoes and mozzarella in this house.

Have you seen the backyard farms on the vine tomatoes at your grocery store?  They have been showcasing them at my local store, and serving samples with mozzarella cheese and basil with a lil balsamic mixed in.  So good, because you know I'm a sucker for tomato, motz, basil anything.  The upside is they give me a coupon to buy the tomatoes, and yes the marketing ploy sucks me right in and I buy them...consistently...for weeks.

We feel like a little pasta tonight, and we deserve it.  We worked hard at the gym this morning and our knees are sore to prove it.  I'm actually planning to ice these knees of mine when I finish this post.  I like to blame my sore knees on the fact that I need new sneakers (just ordered a new pair today), and not on the idea that I'm getting older and so aren't my joints. 

Cook a fun shaped pasta in boiling water. I chose penne because that's what I had in the cabinet.  Good reason, right?

While that's cooking, slice those delicious on the vine tomatoes (I used 5 of them), chop some fresh basil, and cut some fresh mozzarella cheese (yes, I said it, cut the cheese).  You can estimate how much basil and mozzarella you want.  I just eye-balled it.

I decide to go the olive route (1/4 c) and add minced garlic (2-3 cloves) and some granulated salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon each) in a bowl.  Add your cooked pasta to the bowl, and toss it in the oil mixture. Plate the pasta, and sprinkle the tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella on top.

This dish was like every dish I make, pretty easy, but really good.  It was light and fresh.  Perfect for any summer evening...or a Spring evening.  It is only April after all. :-)