Hot Italian sausage, pasta dish savory, simple

This recipe produces a colorful, savory main dish to serve your hungry diners for a total of 30 minutes prep and cooking time. What more can a cook in a hurry ask for? How about a reward: some sit-back and bask-in-approval time for this half-hour of kitchen magic.

The meat, vegetable and pasta recipe is one of five “easy dinners” Emma Knowles developed for a feature in the June issue of Real Simple magazine, and suggests as ideal for weeknight meals.

Vegetarians can omit the sausage. Instead, try adding 3/4 cup feta cheese to the pasta and greens.

Hot Italian Sausage and Tomato Pasta

1 pound dry fettuccine

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium red onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, smashed

4 hot Italian sausages, casings removed

1 pint red or yellow cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

1 cup arugula, torn

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sausage and cook about 5 minutes, using a wooden spoon to crumble it. Add the tomatoes and cook until the skins burst, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, salt and pepper. Add the cooked fettuccine, basil and arugula and toss gently to combine. Serve in bowls and top with the Parmesan.

Yield: 4 servings

Approximate nutrition per serving: Unable to calculate due to recipe variables.