Ground Sausage and Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta

Sometimes before you think you are doomed for tonight’s dinner idea, all you need to do is take a breath and think about what may be kicking around in your fridge and/or freezer. That’s how most of these dishes come alive to be completely honest with you. My meal planning and prepping takes me quite far, but when I have an “Oh-My-God” Moment thinking about how to get some kind of dinner together within 20 minutes, creativity comes to the surface. Just like this dish below. Now, I had the sausage in the freezer, which I did consider before I left the house in the morning, “I don’t know what it’ll be, but it will be something with sausage”, and the rest just happened! Bon Appetit!

Serves 2 (a little math lesson if you need to double or triple this up!)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp Grapeseed Oil
• 2 Sausage (small, 6-inch), out of rind and broken down
• 2 Cups Roasted vegetables* chopped (or frozen veg)
• 2 Cups Arugula or Spinach
• ¼ Cup Pesto
• 1½ Cups Dry pasta of choice (*I like the Catelli Gluten Free brand)
• Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

1. Place a pot of water on the stove to boil the pasta in.
2. Remove sausage meat from casing and break into pieces
3. In a large wok, heat oil over medium heat. Once heated through, add the sausage and cook through.
4. At this point the pasta water may be boiled. Add the pasta to the water and stir to cook through, according to package directions.
5. Once the sausage is cooked, add the pesto and cut up vegetables and stir to coat through all ingredients. Reduce heat to low to keep warm on the stove until the pasta is ready.
6. Right before adding the pasta to the meat and vegetables, add the arugula or spinach so that it will wilt once the pasta hits it.
7. Add pasta using a slotted spoon to the wok and stir well to mix and coat all ingredients.
8. Portion out onto small plates**, top with parmesan cheese, pour yourself a nice glass of whatever your beverage of choice is and enjoy each bite.

*I am pretty adamant on making a pan full of roasted vegetables at the top of my week for food prep, whether I have them as a side, thrown in a wrap or into an omolette, there is always a portion or two left to use up somehow

**Not only is the dish I present this recipe to you incredibly special to me, coming from one of the closest women in my life, but it’s the perfect size!  At 9-inches in diameter, it helps to manage your portion a little better too!  The average European dinner plate is this size — 9-inches– whereas the average North American dinner plate is 12-inches in diameter!  Portions matter, especially at dinner time, when our body is getting ready for rest.  Try your best not to overdue it here.