Spring Sausage and Herb Pasta
Recipe posted in: Flex Meals & Snacks, Lunches & Dinners, Main CoursesCelebrate the arrival of spring with a simple, seasonal supper that’s smart and satisfying! Featuring hearty sausage, green peas, fresh herbs and a bright lemony sauce, this whole wheat pasta recipe is easy to prepare and fits perfectly into your healthy diet.
This colorful pasta dinner may look fancy but is actually super simple to make! The first step is creating the lemony sauce. Simply combine olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk to emulsify. Chop up fresh parsley and mint and set these aside until the end.
The hardest part about making this meal is cooking the sausage, which is actually not that hard at all! We use a lean ground pork sausage but you can easily swap in chicken or turkey sausage. Even ground beef would work just fine! You can crumble it into small pieces or leave larger chunks of the sausage: Either way you will end up with a delicious result.
Once the sausage is fully cooked, drain the fat and throw it in a large pot with cooked whole wheat pasta. Add in your lemony sauce, chopped fresh herbs, green peas and a sprinkle of black pepper. That’s it! We love this meal because it’s easy to customize and only requires a handful of simple, seasonal ingredients.
One serving of this Spring Sausage and Herb Pasta meal contains 314 calories. If you’re on a Nutrisystem weight loss plan, you can count it as one PowerFuel, one SmartCarb and one Extra.
Healthy Hacks: Make this spring-inspired pasta dinner recipe even more green by adding a vegetable serving! Have some fun and get creative with your favorite non-starchy options, including broccoli, green beans, asparagus, green onions or sugar snap peas. You can also pump up the protein with another PowerFuel, such as creamy goat cheese for an extra decadent sauce or shaved parmesan cheese as a salty garnish. Have some fun with Free Foods for even more fresh flavor (minced garlic and Italian seasoning are two of our faves).
Pining for more pasta? Try out the delicious and healthy pasta recipes below:
- Cashew Cream Veggie Pasta >
- Artichoke and Spinach Chicken Pasta >
- Sweet and Savory Spaghetti Squash Bowl >
- Simple Spring Green Pasta Salad >
- Slow Cooker Turkey Bolognese with Spaghetti Squash Pasta >
- Shrimp Pasta With Garlic Asparagus >
- Shrimp Scampi with Zucchini Pasta >
Have you come up with your own spring-inspired recipe that you want to share with us? Submit your delicious ideas on our Recipe Submission page! Your recipe could be featured right here on The Leaf Weight Loss Blog for others to enjoy. Help others on their journey to health and wellness by submitting your recipe today!
Nutrisystem makes weight loss simple! We offer perfectly portioned versions of your favorite meals and snacks. Plus, we deliver them right to your home! From easy breakfasts to hearty dinners to delicious snacks in between, we’re your go-to meal delivery service. We even make your favorite pasta dinners! (Hello, Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo.) Get started with a Nutrisystem meal plan today!
Servings: 6
Calories per Serving: 314
On Nutrisystem, Count As: 1 SmartCarb, 1 PowerFuel and 1 Extra
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. lean ground pork sausage
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pasta, cooked
- 1 ½ cups green peas
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- 2 Tbsp. fresh mint
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- Black pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil and lemon juice. Whisk to combine and emulsify.
- Finely chop the parsley and mint. Set aside.
- Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the pan and let it brown without stirring for 3-5 minutes. Once browned, flip and stir the meat and cook until no pink spots remain. Drain the fat.
- Place all ingredients into a large pot and toss to combine.