Dinner

Healthier Pasta Jambalya is for Dinner.

Healthier Pasta Jambalya takes 20 minutes to prepare.

Healthier Pasta Jambalya takes 30 minutes to cook.

Healthier Pasta Jambalya makes 10 servings.

The ingredients for Healthier Pasta Jambalya are:

Cooking Spray
1 pound dry whole wheat pasta (penne is best, but you can use any type!)
1.5 tablespoons of olive oil, divided
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced and halved
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1-inch diced
1/2 cup yellow onion, small diced (you can use frozen onion diced as well)
1/2 red bell pepper, small diced
1 heaping tablespoon of minced garlic (i don't really measure mine, we like lots)
1 cup chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves (1 tsp dried)
2 tablespoons freshing chopped basil leaves (1 tsp dried)
A few healthy dashes of creole or cajun seasoning -- like Tony Chachere's (for those watching sodium, you could make your own out of paprika, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, onion powder, cayenne pepper and dried oregano and thyme)
1 can evaporated fat-free milk
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

Here is how you make Healthier Pasta Jambalya:

It's important that all your ingredients are pre-measured and cut before starting to cook. Often times, I can prep the vegetables and meat while waiting for the pasta to cook, but only because I've done this recipe so many times. Cook Pasta, just shy of al dente. DO NOT OVERCOOK. For whole-wheat pastas, that's close to 9 or 10 minutes. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.Use your largest saute pan (14-inc or better), I use an extra large wok, Spray with cooking spray (olive oil type preferred) and add 3/4 tablespoon of oil. Swirl the pan to evenly coat with oil. Season the chicken chunks with your creole/cajun seasoning. Place the chicken in the pan and sear for a few minutes each side (about 3) turning to ensure even browning. Remove from the pan and set aside. Respray your pan with cooking spray and add the remaining olive oil to the saute pan and add the turkey smoke sausage, onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is warmed through and has a lightly grilled look to it and the onions are translucent -- about 4 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute briefly -- 30 seconds or so. Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape with a spoon to remove any browned bits that have formed in the bottom of the pan, another 30 seconds or so. Add the diced tomatoes, fresh thyme, and another dash of creole/cajun seasoning and cook for 2 minutes. Add the evaporated milk to the pan and cook another 2 or 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan as well as the almost al dente pasta and the reserved pasta cooking water. Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally, until the chicke is cooked through and the pasta is al dente and most of the pasta cooking water has evaporated -- about 3 minutes normally. Remove from the heat and add the basil and Parmesan. Toss to combine and serve while hot.Makes 10 - 1 cup servingsNumber of Servings: 10Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user MAMACASZ.

The nutritional information for Healthier Pasta Jambalya is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 10
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 276.0

• Total Fat: 8.8 g
• Cholesterol: 51.3 mg
• Sodium: 715.7 mg
• Total Carbs: 27.0 g
• Dietary Fiber: 4.3 g
• Protein: 23.8 g

The dietary needs meet for Healthier Pasta Jambalya is Low Fat