Rush Hour Gourmet: Spicy Sausage and Arugula Penne

When you select the right ingredients, it doesn't take many of them to create a fantastic dinner. Nor much time.

The trick is to pick ingredients with lots of flavor, then let them do the heavy lifting.

This recipe for spicy sausage and arugula penne is a great example. I boil some pasta, then toss it with browned peppery sausage, deliciously bitter baby arugula, some savory sun-dried tomatoes, and grated Parmesan. The result is amazing.

Spicy Sausage and Arugula Penne

Makes 6 servings

12 ounces penne pasta

1 pound spicy Italian sausage meat

1 large yellow onion, diced

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

5-ounce package arugula

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and ground black pepper

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain and set aside.

2. In a large saute pan over medium-high, brown the sausage meat and onion until cooked through, about 10 minutes. As it cooks, use a wooden spoon to break up the meat into bite-size chunks.

3. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and arugula, then toss well.

4. Add the pasta and toss until heated through and the arugula just begins to wilt.

5. Add half of the cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water. Toss well, adding more water if desired to create a sauce.

6. Serve topped with the remaining cheese.

Per serving: 490 calories, 28 grams protein, 47 carbohydrates, 22 grams fat, 70 milligrams cholesterol, 750 milligrams sodium, 3 grams dietary fiber.