Italian Sausage- Lightened Up!

Mmmmm... Italian sausage. Spicy, savory, magnifico, as the Italians would call it. One thing that's not so magnifico? Well, regular pork sausage has a great deal of fat. Generally, an Italian pork link has 286 calories with 204 calories coming from fat. Also, it usually has 22.5 grams of total fat with a startling 7.9 g of saturated fat. So, that means health conscious people have to stray from this Italian delicacy, right? Nope! There is always a solution! Read on to see how I made a healthy compromise on this dish!

My Top Secret: CHICKEN Sausage!

Premio's Italian Chicken Sausage has 60% less fat than USDA Data for pork and beef sausage! In fact, it has only 11 grams of total fat and 3.5 grams of saturated fat! Plus, it's only 190 calories per link!

Simple n' Fierce Ingredients... (Serves Four)

-4 links of Premio's Italian Chicken Sausage
-1 box of organic whole wheat linguine
-4 cloves of garlic minced
-2 tbs. of olive oil
-One pinch of oregano
-1 whole tomato

Lightened Up Italian Sausage and Linguine Recipe

Approx. 435 calories per serving

Total Time: 30 mins.

Prepping: 15 mins.

Cooking: 15 mins.

Prepping the Linguine

1. Boil water in large pot. Salt to taste.

2. Lightly drizzle some oil in pot.

3. Add 1 tbs. of salt and the linguine. 

4. Cook for about 7-10 minutes, or according to the directions on the package. You want it al dante! (AKA firm to the bite)

Meanwhile...

Start the sausage!

1. Heat the pan to a medium temperature. 

2. Add 3 tbs. of water to the pan. Place links evenly and as close to the center of the pan as possible. 

3. Cover the pan, continue heating for 10-12 minutes, turning the links often. Remove the cover and continue cooking for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.

Make your sauce!

1. Heat 2 tbs. of olive oil in mini sauce pan. 

2. Add 4 cloves of minced garlic.

3. Throw in a pinch of oregano. Cook for 2-3 mins.

Cut the tomato!

1. Cut the tomato into chunks!

Everything cooked?

Okay, get ready to plate it! 

1. Drain the cooked pasta.

2. Now, put it back in the pot.

3. Add the sausage and sauce, toss well, and serve. (Serve 4 plates or wrap it up for lunch tomorrow!)

4. Place tomatoes on top of each serving. (You don't want them to get mushy from the heat of the food!)

5. Bon appetit!
Serving: One link and 2 oz. of linguine per serving. Add tomatoes as desired! Approx. 435 cal. per serving.

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