Penne with Spring Greens

BY: Anne-marie Ramo
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Three spring greens sautéed with green garlic are at the heart of this robust pasta, spiked with chunks of sausage. Green garlic is the tender young shoot of the garlic plant, pulled before the bulbs mature to take advantage of its milder flavor. If you can’t find it, regular garlic can be substituted, but the flavor will be slightly stronger.

8 oz. penne (tube-shaped pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz. sun-dried tomato and basil chicken sausage, sliced (1/2 inch)
8 bulbs green garlic or 3 large garlic cloves, minced
6 oz. Swiss chard leaves, chopped, slightly packed (4 cups)
6 oz. baby spinach, slightly packed (6 cups)
4 oz. arugula, Slightly packed (4 cups)
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

1 Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

2 Meanwhile, heat oil in large deep skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook sausage 4 to 5 minutes or until it just begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove sausage.

3 Add green garlic to skillet; cook and stir 1 minute. Add chard, spinach, arugula and water; cook, partially covered, 5 minutes or until greens are wilted and tender and water has evaporated, stirring occasionally. Stir in pasta, sausage, salt and pepper; sprinkle with cheese.

4 (1 1/2-cup) servings

PER SERVING: 470 calories, 17 g total fat (4.5 g saturated fat), 24 g protein, 55 g carbohydrate, 40 mg cholesterol, 1120 mg sodium, 5 g fiber