Whole Wheat Pasta with Sausage, Leeks, and Fontina

Well, I guess we amended this recipe to Pasta with Sausage, Leeks and Italian Cheese Blend.  Basically D used ingredients that we already had or would need for the week, rather than buy the specific ingredients.

The result:  Very good dish.  I would have again.  The sausage gave it a bite (of course, we subbed hot for sweet).

Would have again.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Sausage, Leeks, and Fontina

Serve a heart-warming veggie, sausage, and pasta toss for a quick dinner on a cool night.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups)

Photo by ALB

Ingredients
6 quarts water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 pound uncooked whole wheat penne or rigatoni (used regular penne)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 (4-ounce) link sweet Italian sausage (used hot Italian sausage)
2 cups chopped leek
4 cups shredded Savoy cabbage (about 9 1/2 ounces) (used green cabbage)
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded fontina cheese (used Italian blend cheese)

Preparation
Bring 6 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir in pasta; partially cover, and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 8 minutes or until pasta is almost al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain.
While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove casing from the sausage. Add sausage to Dutch oven; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Add leek; cook 2 minutes or until leek is soft, stirring frequently. Add cabbage; cook 2 minutes or until cabbage wilts, stirring frequently. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, broth, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are very tender.

Add pasta to Dutch oven, tossing well to coat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, or until pasta is al dente. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information (from Cooking Light)
Calories: 385; Fat: 8.9g; Saturated fat: 3.2g; Monounsaturated fat: 3.8g; Polyunsaturated fat: 1.2g; Protein: 17.3g; Carbohydrate: 64.3g; Fiber: 8.3g; Cholesterol: 18mg; Iron: 3.8mg; Sodium: 658mg; Calcium: 119mg

Nutritional Information (from My Fitness Pal, with my changes)
Calories: 408; Total Fat: 9 g; Saturated Fat: 3 g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g; Polyunsaturated Fat 0: g; Trans Fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 17 mg; Sodium: 1329 mg; Potassium: 262 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 68 g; Dietary Fiber: 6 g; Sugars: 8 g; Protein: 16 g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2004