Before our weight loss we made this one pot dish with full fat pork sausage and didn’t include anything green. When we changed it to work with our healthy lifestyle, we substituted the pork sausage for turkey and added what is now the star ingredient, Swiss Chard. If you’re not familiar with this leafy vegetable, it looks like a cross between spinach and kale, but is actually a close relative to the beet family and is packed with vitamins and nutrients. There are several different kinds of of Swiss Chard to choose from. This recipe uses rainbow chard, named for its multicolor stems. Though the stems are very pretty they can also be pretty chewy so we recommend removing them and just using the dark green leaves.

Kevin’s Tip: Save the stalks and any other vegetable scraps you may have (tops and peels of carrots, celery leaves etc.). You can easily throw them in a pot of water, boil and then simmer them for about an hour. Strain the vegetables from the liquid and you have a homemade vegetable broth you can freeze and keep for the next time you want to make soup.

1 tbsp. Olive oil

2 links sweet Italian Turkey Sausage, casings removed

1 Onion, chopped

1 bunch Swiss Chard, rinsed and chopped

1/4 cup Mushrooms, sliced (optional)

1 clove Garlic, minced

1/3-cup Chicken broth

1 14 1/2 oz. can of Petite-diced Tomatoes

1/2 lbs. Pasta, rigatoni style

Check out the video of this recipe below!

1. Place the olive oil, sausage, and onion in a large skillet and cook over medium heat.

2. Using a wooden spoon break apart the sausage and cook everything until onions are tender and the sausage is cooked through.

3. Add the Swiss chard a handful at a time cooking it down after each handful.

4. Stir in the mushrooms, garlic and chicken broth.

5. Cover and cook until the Swiss chard has wilted, about 7 minutes

6. Stir in the diced tomatoes.

7. Back the heat down to medium-low and simmer.

8. Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.

9. Combine the pasta and vegetables in a large serving bowl, toss and serve!

A sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese is always a nice touch.

Nutrition Info:

1 cup per serving

Calories 347 | Fat 9g | Saturated Fat 2g | Carbs 48g | Fiber 4g | Sugars 5g | Protein 16g

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