"My garden inspired me to make this vegetable-packed meat sauce," says member Jill Hammersley. One night she found herself in the kitchen searching for ideas for dinner. She had Italian sausage, pasta and produce on hand, and the dish was born. "It was so flavorful, I’ve made it my signature pasta sauce."
1 lb. bulk mild Italian sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 ribs celery, diced
1 yellow summer squash, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
1 zucchini, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
1 carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)
1 (26-oz.) jar marinara pasta sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
8 oz. rotini (corkscrew pasta) or farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
1. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook sausage 6 to 8 minutes or until browned and no longer pink in center, stirring occasionally and crumbling sausage. Remove sausage; discard drippings.
2. Add oil to skillet; heat over medium heat until hot. Cook onion and garlic 4 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently. Add celery; cook 5 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Stir in yellow squash, zucchini and carrot.
3. Return sausage to skillet; stir in marinara sauce, vinegar, butter and thyme. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to low; simmer, covered, 30 to 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Serve sauce over pasta.
4 (1 1/2-cup) servings
PER SERVING: 815 calories, 37 g total fat (11.5 g saturated fat), 29.5 g protein, 94.5 g carbohydrate, 55 mg cholesterol, 2175 mg sodium, 8 g fiber