Dinner in a jiffy...

Penne with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes

We've all been there- hungry, tired, and not feeling inspired for dinner.  With just a few ingredients and about a half hour of time you can have a tasty dinner on the table.  Now isn't that inspiring.  his could not have been easier, but tasted like I put some real effort into it.  I made this for three, so if you are feeding more, just up the ingredients a bit.  Serve with a green salad and call your dinner complete.  While we didn't use it here, a grating of parmesan would be very nice with this.

Penne with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes

12oz pkg. fully cooked chicken sausage (I used Meijer Sundried Tomato with Basil and Mozzarella)
6oz whole grain penne (I used Barilla)
10oz grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
6 cloves garlic, sliced very thin (or more, if you dare)
1 T extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt and fresh ground black pepper

 Halve the tomatoes and toss them with the olive oil, garlic, and a generous amount of salt and pepper in a small baking dish.  Roast in the oven at 45o degrees F while you prepare the rest of the meal.  Prepare the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water before you drain it.  While the pasta is cooking, brown the sausages in a large non-stick skillet.  When browned to your liking, remove to a cutting board and slice thinly.  Add the reserved water to the skillet and use a wooded spoon to loosen any brown bits.  Return the sausage slices to the pan along with the drained pasta.  Remove the tomatoes from the oven and give a good stir, pressing with a spoon to relwase more juices.  Add to the pan with the sausage and pasta, tossing to coat the pasta with the "sauce."

WW PointsPlus Value:  Serves 3 at 9 points per serving.