I’m not sure if you know this about me, but I’m Italian. Like seriously Italian. (Parlo Italiano!)

For the most part, my family is from the North  – my last name is a city in Northern Italy! So my preference for Italian food leans towards its Northern cuisine. Think pesto, lots of game, olive oil, and lots of vegetables as opposed to red sauces and cheesy pastas. BUT my mom’s side of the family has some Sicilian in it and, come on, who doesn’t love a plate full of what we typically think of as eye-talian food? You will never, ever see me turn down a plate of lasagna. Well, except for the next few weeks….

The only drawback to this delicious, comforting food? It can be quite calorie-laden. So the other night I took it upon myself to conjure up the delicious flavors of one of my favorite dishes without the high calorie and fat content.

I’m not going to lie, I pretty much hit it out of the ballpark with this one.

Coming in at just 275 calories a serving, this is one dish you can definitely feel good about indulging in. The low calorie and fat content leaves plenty of room to serve with a side of your favorite pasta, bread, or other grain. Then again, I was perfectly satiated as-is.

Healthified Sausage and Peppers

Yield: 4 servings

Preperation Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of chicken sausage, sliced (I chose Smoked Chicken Andouille Sausage that were already cooked*)
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 /2 each of red and yellow bell pepper
• 1 roma tomato, chopped
• 1/4-1/2 cup red wine (optional, but it really adds to the flavor of the dish)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste
• parlsey, chopped (this is mostly for garnish, I actually used cilantro because that’s all I had in my crisper)
• cheese (would recommend parmesan or goat)
• 2 TBSP canola oil (because you will be cooking on high heat, olive oil is not advisable)

* If you prefer to use uncooked sausage I would recommend cooking them in the pan first, then remove and set aside before starting with step 1 below.

Directions:

1. Place a large saute pan on the stove over high heat and add the oil. Once the oil and pan are thoroughly heated, add all of the vegetables to the pan (onion, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomato, and garlic). Allow to cook for several minutes (about 7-10), stirring occasionally. The vegetables will start to turn slightly black/char – this is good!

2. Once the vegetables have started to blacken, add the red wine, sliced sausage, and pepper flakes. Turn down the heat to medium/medium-high. Cook for an additional 5 minutes or until the sausage is warmed through and the wine has reduced. Continue to stir occasionally.

3. Once the sausage is warmed through and wine reduced, add the cheese and parsley and enjoy!

I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this meal! The caramelized flavor from the vegetables melded perfectly with the smokiness of the sausage. I didn’t even miss the bread (that’s kind of a lie – this would be AMAZING on a toasted baguette!).

P.S. This is the brand of sausage I used. I would highly recommend it!