10 minute meal: pasta with sausage and basil

I don’t understand why pasta gets such a bad rap as a weight trap. Yes, it can be high in calories … *if* you eat a ton of it. But the same is true of almost any food. And if you choose whole wheat pasta, you get tons of flavor but more fiber than regular pasta (about six grams per cup), which means that even a small portion is really filling.

That’s why pasta with sausage and basil is one of my go-to meals on busy nights when I don’t want take-out but don’t want to spend all night in the kitchen, either. Here’s how I make it–it’s so simple that it almost doesn’t warrant the term “recipe”.

Ingredients
-Three cups of whole wheat fusilli pasta
-2 pre-cooked chicken sausage links
-Fresh basil (several leaves)
-Handful of black olives
-Parmesan cheese
-Olive oil and salt for taste

Directions (makes 3 servings*)
-Put a big pot of water on the stove. When it reaches a boil, add a tiny bit of olive oil and some salt, and throw the pasta in. Boil for around seven minutes (check package; cooking times can vary), then drain.
-While the pasta’s cooking, cut the sausage links in half and brown in a pan. Once they’re cooked, cut into small pieces.
-Chop up the basil into thin strips, and the olives into small pieces.
-Throw everything in a bowl, then shred some parmesan over it and toss.

*One serving–about one and a half cups–comes in just under 400 calories and ten grams of fat.