Sometimes I wonder what kind of patient I would be if I were to go see a dietitian.
This morning, my patients couldn’t have been any more different. I saw everything from a Spanish-speaking vegetarian to a tearful diabetic, to a newly diagnosed diabetic whose diet was impeccable…but deathly afraid of needles. Never a dull moment when it comes to patients.
One of them was a self-proclaimed junk food junkie. Honesty is good. Honesty gets us to a place where we can makes changes. Plus, if we’re being honest, who doesn’t LOVE junk food?
I can’t say that I’m a junk food junkie, but I sure want to be these days. This weekend was an absolute train wreck diet-wise and…yeah. Don’t judge me! Luckily for me, my body needing additional calories to support baby growth is hugely helpful as I didn’t gain weight over the weekend, per the dreaded scale this morning. I was just sure that I was going to be up eighty-four pounds or so.
I’m not having “cravings”, but I just don’t want anything healthy. Of course I make a smoothie or grab an apple or have a salad for lunch and everything’s delicious and wonderful, but I am still gravitating towards sinful carbs and bacon and sweets and..mmmmmmm.
I did mention carbs, right? Oh man. I always love pasta, but pasta like this? It’s cause enough to induce the worst of cravings for anyone and everyone. This dish looks and sounds alright (my pictures do it NO justice, by the way…I was way to anxious to eat), but the flavor itself is out. of. this. world. good.
Mascarpone cheese and wine? Heavenly. Add garlic, ohh baby. Spinach and tomatoes, because, well, there’s some healthfulness to the dish. And chicken sausage for that lean protein. It’s perfection.
- 8 oz dry whole wheat pasta
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- ½ tsp Kosher salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ cup (4 oz) dry white wine
- 1 (14 oz) can no salt added diced tomatoes, undrained
- 12 oz chicken sausage, sliced into rounds
- 7 oz fresh spinach
- 1 cup (8 oz) mascarpone cheese
- 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
- Bring 3-4 quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add pasta, stir, and cook 9-12 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and salt and saute onions for 5-7 minutes, until they start to soften. Mix in the oregano and garlic; cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the wine and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes or until mostly absorbed. Stir the tomatoes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 8-10 minutes.
- Add the sausage and spinach to the top of the mixture and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes to allow the spinach to start wilting; mix to continue wilting. Stir the mascarpone and Parmesan until melted and creamy. Add pasta and mix well. Serve hot.
How good was The Voice last night? Adam was cracking me up and Usher…mmmm!
Be well,
This looks like a healthy delicious dinner idea for during the week! I am saving this for later
This looks soooo good! Can’t wait to give it a go.
I made this after seeing it on your weekly menu. Amazing! My favorite part, the leftovers. They were as good if not a little better.
I had a train wreck of a diet weekend too but I don’t have a growing baby to blame it on. This looks like a delicious way to deal with cravings.
This looks like something that can be whipped in no time. I love pasta so this is right up my alley 🙂
This pasta dish looks filling and delicious! I’m not normally a whole wheat pasta fan but all that flavor is sure to make it taste delicious!
I made this for my family last night, and everyone of them loved it! My kids were asking for seconds. This will definitely be going down as a family favorite.
XO,
Steph
Author
Hi Steph! I’m so glad it was a huge hit! I agree, though…a favorite, for sure! 🙂
I thought of you recently because I am talking through email with a woman who was diagnosed with diabetes in January and has literally not eaten anything with sugar in it since then and weeps about not being able to eat chocolate ever again – I’ve finally talked her into seeing a diabetes nutritionist to show her that there is a wealth of great food we can eat. I feel so sorry for her!
This dish looks delish! Hope you have a great Easter Nicole!