Sausage and Bean Ragù on Quinoa Macaroni

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is a South American grain prized for its high protein content. Use whole wheat macaroni, which includes eight essential amino acids, if you can't find it.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups pasta and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients

• 1  (16-ounce) package quinoa macaroni
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  cup  finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  pound  bulk turkey Italian sausage
• 1/2  cup  dry white wine
• 1/2  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  teaspoon  fennel seeds
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 2  (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
• 2  (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shaved Romano cheese

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add sausage; cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Add broth and next 4 ingredients (through tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes.

Add pasta, stirring well. Top evenly with cheese. Serve immediately.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

410 (24% from fat)

Fat:

10.7g (sat 3.6g,mono 3.2g,poly 2.4g)

Protein:

23.4g

Carbohydrate:

58.9g

Fiber:

8.9g

Cholesterol:

41mg

Iron:

4.4mg

Sodium:

729mg

Calcium:

141mg