Italian sausage

Turkey Italian Sausage & Gnocchi in Brown Butter Cream Sauce

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I first had gnocchi at a restaurant in Nashville named Adele’s.  Why had it taken me so long to try it?  I don’t know!  I love pasta and I love potatoes so what could be bad about potato-based pasta?!  I wish I could remember the name of the dish I ordered at Adele’s.  It was gnocchi with a sage browned butter and delicata squash and it was amazing.  Unfortunately, it’s a long trip from Oklahoma to Tennessee, so I figured I needed to create a gnocchi dish of my own at home.

I tried to make my recipe as healthy as possible without losing any of the rich, buttery flavor.  I think I pulled it off.  My family loves this dish.  My daughter likes to add crushed up croutons to the top, for some crunch, but I prefer it just like it is.  A hot bowl of steaming, soft pasta is the best kind of comfort food to me. ~Erin

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1.25 lbs. (5 links) Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 (17 oz.) package potato gnocchi

1 Tbsp. butter

1 c. Fat-free half & half

6 cups fresh baby spinach (chopped)

1-2 large clove garlic, minced

¼ c. water reserved from cooking the pasta

½ c. shredded parmesan

½ Tbsp. cornstarch

In a medium stock pot, bring water to a boil to prepare for cooking the gnocchi.

In a large deep-sided skillet, cook the turkey sausage, breaking it into crumbles, until brown; drain on a paper-towel lined plate.  Wipe out the oil left behind by the sausage.

Cook the gnocchi in salted water according to package directions (do not overcook).

Meanwhile, melt butter in the skillet and cook until it turns golden brown.

Add garlic and spinach.  Cook and stir until the spinach is wilted.

Add the cornstarch and stir.  Add the half & half, pasta water, and parmesan.  Simmer until thickened.

Transfer the cooked gnocchi to the skillet and return the Italian sausage to the pan.  Stir to coat.

Serve with extra shredded parmesan or crushed croutons.

WW Info:  12 points per cup on all plans (blue, green & purple).  Makes 6 cups.

Italian Turkey Sausage & Pepper Pasta

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I’ve been making this for years…since before we had kids. In fact, when we were first married, we lived near a Johnny Carino’s Italian restaurant and went there often. My husband always ordered a “Skilletini” which is a tomato based pasta dish served with peppers, onions, & sausage, much like this one. Maybe that’s why we love this so much. It reminds us of our newly-wed date nights. It was a favorite then and it’s a favorite now in our own home. ~Erin

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Ingredients:

8 oz. uncooked whole wheat penne pasta

1 ¼ lb. turkey Italian sausage (5 links)

1 bell pepper of each color: green, red, yellow, and orange; sliced into strips

1 lg. onion, sliced

2-4 cloves garlic, minced (I used 1 T. squeeze garlic)

1 (14.5 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

1 T. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. salt

3 T. of pasta water (reserved before draining cooked pasta)

1 T. olive oil

Parmesan cheese for serving, optional (not included in WW points calculations)

Crushed red pepper flakes for serving, optional

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Instructions:

Cook pasta in salted water according to package directions; reserve 3 T. of pasta water, drain, & set aside.

Brown sausages in a large skillet over medium-high heat; remove from pan & set aside. You can either leave them whole to cook them, then slice each into four pieces; or you can slice and then cook them. I prefer to slice first and then cook the pieces because they cook faster. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Cook peppers and onions in olive oil over medium-high heat until they are crisp-tender (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (about a minute).

Add the Italian seasoning, salt, tomatoes, tomato sauce, pasta water, and sliced sausage pieces. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add penne pasta and stir to heat through.

Serve with parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Weight Watchers Info.: This recipe makes 10 servings. Each 8 oz. serving (about 1 ½ c.) is 5 SmartPoints.