15 Minutes to Dinner - Easy, Quick, and Healthful Turkey Sausage Pasta

The peas can be omitted or substituted for any vegetable

When kids are hungry, they mean it. I often feel overwhelmed with the urgency of getting their food on the table quickly in order to avoid major melt downs! If you are a parent, you know what I mean! So whenever I can figure out a quick and, most importantly, healthy meal that is easy to make and that they enjoy eating, I stick with it. That is the case with this pasta. I now keep Jenni-O lean turkey sausages always in my fridge and thin whole wheat spaghetti in the pantry. It saves me every time! 

Following is a recipe that serves 2 kids. You may double or tripe the measurements according to the size of your family. This pasta would be a perfect week night dinner for parents or any busy adult!

Easy, Quick, and Healthful Turkey Sausage Pasta

Serves 2 kids. Double or triple the recipe according to the size of your family

Ingredients

1 lean sweet turkey sausage out of its casing (I use the Jenni-O brand)

1 clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

1/3 of a pack of whole wheat thin spaghetti

1/4 cup of fresh or frozen peas

1/4 cup or more of pasta water (water used to cook the pasta)

2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Bring some salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook it until al dente. Reserve some of the cooking water to use on the sauce, then drain the pasta and set it aside.

Place a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the sausage (out of its casing) and cook it for about 5 minutes while braking any big lumps of meat with a wooden spoon. When the sausage is almost cooked through, add garlic. Cook it for another 3 minutes. Add peas and pasta water* to the sausage. Cook until peas are tender. Add pasta and cheese. Stir it all around and serve.

*fresh peas take longer to cook, so you might need to add little more pasta water in order to keep the meat moist while cooking.

This spaghetti is so thin the kids can't even tell it is whole grain!

Heat olive oil, add sausage (out of the casing) and break it down with the help of a wooden spoon

When sausage is almost cooked, add the garlic and cook it a little further

Then add peas, fresh or frozen

Add some of the water used to cook the pasta and cook until peas are tender. Keep adding pasta water if necessary.

Add cooked and drained  pasta

Add cheese and stir it all around until combined and cheese is melted

Plate pasta. Top with a little more Parmesan cheese.

Finish with a drizzle of your favorite olive oil. Your child will appreciate the thoughtfulness.

If your kids are like mine and don't like peas, skip adding them. Serve the sausage pasta along with their favorite veggies. My little ones happen to love tomatoes. So this is what I do:

She likes is. Check.

He likes it. Check.

I am always happy to eat this pasta with the kids. Lots of simple but great flavors!