This hearty Italian pasta dish has plenty of flavor without all the added fat of traditional pork sausage. Quick, easy and delicious!
This recipe was shared with me by a former coworker and I've been looking forward to making this for weeks because I'm a huge fan of escarole!
Not all chicken sausages are alike, so it's a good idea to know your butcher or the person making the sausage if possible. I sampled a few Italian chicken sausages from different stores before I found a favorite at a nearby Italian specialty store made with all white meat. Living in New York, I'm fortunate to have some great Italian resources nearby, if you can't find chicken sausage, turkey sausage would be perfectly fine. I had no nutritional info, so I used the nutritional info for Isernio Italian Chicken Sausage to calculate. If you can't find escarole, you could use Swiss chard or fresh spinach instead.
Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage, Peppers and Escarole
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Serving Size: 1-1/2 cups • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 297.7 • Fat: 5.5 g • Protein: 20.6 g • Carb: 47.2 g • Fiber: 7.5 g • Sugar: 1.1 g
Ingredients:
- 12 oz Ronzoni Smart taste pasta (or whole wheat or low carb)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 lb Italian chicken sausage, removed from casing
- 1 medium head escarole, rinsed and torn into bite sized pieces
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- salt and fresh pepper to taste
Directions:
Rinse escarole and tear into bite sized pieces.
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water. Reserve 1 cup water before draining.
While pasta water boils, heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil; when hot add onions, peppers, garlic, salt and pepper.
Cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes.
Add sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon and cook until golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
Add escarole, cover and cook 2 minutes; remove the cover, stir and cook about 3 more minutes or until wilted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Add cooked pasta, red pepper flakes, reserved water and Parmigiano Reggiano, toss well and transfer to a large serving bowl. Serve immediately.


























This looks absolutely delicious. I love chicken sausage, and any recipes that use it will definitely be tried!
ReplyDeleteThis looks seriously amazing! I just bought chicken sausage... looks like it was meant to be!
ReplyDeleteGreat! Another thought I had while making this is using 3/4 lb ground turkey with one pork sausage link for added flavor (like we did in the rice ball casserole)
ReplyDeleteI think i will try this for dinner tomorrow..do you think adding some grape tomatoes to the mix would be ok?
Deletemarlo
I used turkey sausage. Also a great option, I think!
DeleteThis recipe looks amazing! My fiance loves pasta, and sausage, so this will be a keeper, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteOh, I almost pulled out turkey sausage from the freezer today. I will definitely be making this later in the week, just pick up some escarole.
ReplyDeleteAwesome!! I have some italian sausage defrosting right now :D
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to hear the reviews!
ReplyDeleteOh this sounds delicious. I don't know that I have access to turkey or chicken sausage (unless it's hidden in the frozen section and I've missed it) what would be the difference subbing in a pork sausage with a low fat content? I do have access to that.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds great! We've been cooking a lot with chicken sausage here, and I've enjoyed trying all the different kinds. Yum!
ReplyDeleteThis looks incredible! I'm saving this in my "to make" list! :)
ReplyDeleteWhat does the reserved water do?
ReplyDeletethe startchy water works great to stretch your sauce
DeleteJyl, the reserved starchy pasta water helps to create a sauce... the starch helps to thicken it.
ReplyDeleteWOW! Amazingly delicious! Saw the post this morning and had to have it for dinner. So good! I did the 3/4lb turkey and one hot Italian sausage link...wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThis looks so yummy!!! can't wait to try it- going to pick up some escarole on my next trip to the grocery store. I haven't had escarole in a LONG time; really glad to have a new recipe to use it in- thanks Gina!
ReplyDeleteI'll have to look for an all white chicken sausage. I'm glad you used a healthier pasta in the recipe. I'm not a big fan of heavy pasta dishes, but this recipe loaded with veggies looks terrific.
ReplyDeleteKristi
Not only can't I wait to make this, I'm so enjoying the photos. You are, indeed, an artist!
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is delicious with Broccoli Rabe. Lots of Garlic sauteed, add Broccoli Rabe. Cook Chicken/Broccoli Rabe Sausage, cut in pieces, add to cooked Broccoli Rabe. Mix this with hot, cooked Penne Pasta. serve with Grated Parmagiana cheese. Delicious. NO bell peppers added to this dish.
ReplyDeleteThat looks great. I agree with you that not all chicken sausage is created equal. When it's made in house I love when the store is knowledgeable enough to talk about what goes into it.
ReplyDeleteWW new Points Plus does not work for me but the old Momentum is a wonderful diet for me so I just want to say thank you so much for always including both programs points. It makes a huge difference! Can't wait to try this one - and at only 6 points!!
ReplyDeleteI left a comment last night about this recipe. It was there last night but has disappeared today! I made this last night, and it's delicious. I think you could substitute spinach, kale, etc. for the escarole, and it would be equally as good. A definite keeper.
ReplyDeleteThis was an amazing delicous dish. I made my in-laws a thank you dinner and this is what I chose. I used sundried tomato mozzeralla chicken/turkey sausage and spinach. My FIL has homemade crushed red pepper and it was great. For dessert I made your blueberry cream pie sub. blackberries. Thank you SOOO much.
ReplyDeleteRoberta, that's strange!!
ReplyDeleteSo happy you all liked it, you can use any leafy green veggie. Not sure how the points would change with lean pork sausage, you may have to put this in recipe builder to see.
Oh how I love pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe, I can't believe I haven't posted that one! Maybe next week!
This was soooo good!! I had to use turkey sausage because our meat department (not sure where a butcher is around here) looked at my crazy (in sincerity) when I inquired about chicken sausage. I also had to use spinach because our grocer did not carry escarole, but it was lovely. The only thing I would change for me is the sausage, I may try turkey bratwurst next time so I can remove them from the casing, I bought links by mistake :-(. I actually want to try it again tonight, lol. It was that good.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't find uncooked chicken sausage links, so I'm trying Aidell's Italian chicken sausage links to make this tomorrow night. I'm thinking I'll just slice the links up and brown them with the veggies. I'll need to re-figure the points I'm sure, but I still think it's going to be great :) can't wait!
ReplyDeleteI made this tonight and it was a hit!! My grocery store didn't have escarole, so I used spinach, and I added baby bella mushrooms. I used the whole package of sausage which was 1.4 pounds and it didn't overwhelm it. Great job Gina!!
ReplyDeleteThis was fabulous! I used three cheese chicken sausage which came precooked, so I sliced it up rather than crumbling it out of the casing. It was terrific! The portion size was large but it was so tasty I kept picking at the leftovers! I can't wait to eat it again tomorrow! Thank you!!
ReplyDeleteYUM!! Just made this, added a little bit of pasta sauce I had left over in the fridge, but overall, such a good recipe!! :) Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteThis looks great! I love how we can use sausage and still be point friendly! I made Jamabalaya recently with Shrimp and Andouille Sausage for my Fat Tuesday (no pun intended) post! Was soo good and point friendly!
ReplyDeleteThis looks delicious! We don't have a butcher (because we live in the middle of nowhere) so we usually use the turkey Italian sausage you can buy in the package. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteDelicious! I am eating it right now :) Only thing I did different was to slice up my pre-cooked italian chicken sausage and brown it first. I used some of the left over grease from that to saute the onions, peppers and garlic and omitted the olive oil. My only problem was that I overcooked my whole wheat pasta! However, it is still fabulous!!! Thank you for what you do Gina!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your reviews, yes grilled sliced sausage would work too! Turkey, chicken, whatever you can find. Glad you all liked it :)
ReplyDeleteThis recipe was delicious! My husband LOVED it! And I have to add, I only learned of your blog about a month ago and I've made probably 6 of your recipes and they have all been wonderful! This is now my go to site for meal planning and I recommend it to all my friends! Thank you for helping me get my family (especially my husband) to eat healthy!
ReplyDeleteThis was really great. My local grocery store doesn't carry chicken or turkey Italian sausage, so I made my own. I googled the spice mixture and put it in ground turkey. It turned out great. I used ground fennel seeds, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Mixed it in the ground turkey, then just followed the recipe as posted.
ReplyDeleteLoved it!
My husbands making this tonight!! We're using venison sausage instead but I'm sure it'll taste very similar! :)
ReplyDeleteJust made this tonight. My Super Target carried the Isernio's chicken sausage, and I thought it was wonderful! We both loved it. Mine had a lot of pasta versus other stuff, but I think my scale might be off, so I might have added too much pasta. Either way, the flavor was amazing! Thank you again...you make losing weight so much more enjoyable!
ReplyDeleteGina, thank you so much for this site! It's been a great help as I've adjusted to life on WW.
ReplyDeleteWe made this for dinner tonight and it was great! We used link chicken sausage in the casing (all we could find at the store) but it was still delicious. And it's so quick and easy to make. This is definitely a keeper!
Thanks for all your reviews! I'm happy they were all positive ones!
ReplyDeletewe hd this for dinner tonight. it is delicious!!! instead of escarole i used spinach! thanks for another wonderful recipie
ReplyDeleteI just finished eating this and it was fabulous!! I was actually really worried once I started making it. I thought, 'pasta without a sauce? There's no way my kids are gonna eat this.' But I was pleasantly surprised! I added half a yellow bell pepper and 5 mushrooms to increase the veggies. I think I probably looked like a starving child from a 3rd world country while I was devouring this pasta dish! Awesome recipe! I'm seriously SO happy!
ReplyDeleteOh- by the way, I used the Italian chicken sausage from the butcher's counter at Whole Foods and it was great. They didn't have escarole so I used endives instead. Loved it :)
ReplyDeleteI made this dish this week - it was soooo good. Hubby had 2nds (maybe 3rds!) and had no idea it was low fat. Great recipe - thanks!
ReplyDeleteDelicious, my family doesn't like peppers so I made it with mushrooms instead. Everyone loved it. I couldn't find escarole at our small town grocery store so my next trip to trader joes I will look there. I used fresh spinach. Its a keeper!
ReplyDeleteOh yea I also used a can of tomatoes with garlic and basil.
ReplyDeleteI made this Sunday night. It was so good, that I ate it for lunch and dinner on Monday and lunch today! I never eat leftovers. I couldn't get enough of this dish.
ReplyDeleteI know! I kept picking some out of the pot after I ate mine, not because I was hungry but because it was so good. I suggest putting it away after you serve it so you don't overindulge! :)
ReplyDeleteAs I sit here with a satisfied tummy after trying this dish.....this is so easy to make and fast. I can't wait for my family to try this one. AWESOME is all I have left to say.
ReplyDeleteLet me know what they think!
ReplyDeleteI have made this twice for my family already and they had no idea it was a healthy meal. Everyone absolutely loved it. I did use turkey hot sausage because my butcher was out of chicken sausage and the second time I made it, I used Kale since there wasn't escarole in the produce section. Turned out great both times. Thanks for a new recipe that will be frequently used in my home!!!
ReplyDeletemade this tonight and it was amazing...my butcher had a broccoli rabe chicken sausage and it was so good with everything else. the house smelled delish too!!! my 4 yo even ate it and he tries everything but eats nothing...if that makes sense. anyway he tried it liked it and ate it all. will def be a weekly meal...and its the first time i tried that ronzoni pasta...so good too....
ReplyDeleteI made this last night. I'm in love! I used frozen spinach instead of escarole. It is definitely going into heavy rotation in my kitchen. Thank you :)
ReplyDeleteI made this last night (2nd time making it) & it was super yum! Used spinach instead of escarole this time & I think that was a good fit for us. i also added broccoli & used the Smart Chicken sweet Italian sausage (and no red pepper flakes). My husband requested that I make this more often!
ReplyDeleteAMAZING!!! I make many turkey sausage/pasta dishes...and loved them all. Then I made this one and this has become our favorite!! I use hot turkey italian sausage, doubled the garlic, increased the crushed red peppers and made this with spinach. I forgot to save the pasta water so I heated up regular water and added a teaspoon of boullion to it. I only needed about 1/4 cup. I also added 8 ounces of baby bella's. HEAVENLY!! Keep them coming Gina!!
ReplyDeleteGlad you all liked it, love the variations!
ReplyDeleteJust finished making this and it was delicious! My little sister loved it and was shocked at how good the chicken sausage was. Thanks so much for a great WW friendly recipe!
ReplyDeleteDelicious! I made this using Shadybrook Farms Sweet Turkey Sausage and it was fabulous! Will definitely be making this again!
ReplyDeleteHi Gina - Thank you so much for putting together this website! I made this tonight for dinner and my kids and I LOVED it. I had to use turkey sausage because my store didn't have chicken. It is definitely a keeper for us. I am not a big cook - don't love doing it. But this site has encouraged me to begin doing some fancier and different cooking. Keep up the great work!! Christine in Atlanta, GA
ReplyDeleteMy husband, who is not a cook, made this last night. It was simple enough for him to cook and it was amazing. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteI love this one. I cook a lot of your recipies and love them all. Keep them coming.
ReplyDeleteMade this last night and it was absolutely yummy!I substituted turkey sausage for Chicken sausage because I could not find any. I also substituted spinach for Escarole (thats not exactly something you will find in a normal grocery store..lol) I will make this recipe again though!
ReplyDeleteI love every recipe I have made from your blog, but this is my favorite! Made it last night, and again...another hit. I could not find a healthy uncooked chicken sausage so I bought a 95% fat free spicy Italian cooked chicken sausage by Thin-n-Trim and it was delicious!! I chopped it up since it couldn't really crumble. It was very difficult to just have 1 serving, but I did. Looking forward to leftovers for lunch! I pretty much make dinner every night using one of your recipes. I hope you publish a cookbook soon. No doubt it will sell big and be a huge success! Thank you for sharing your talents!
ReplyDeleteI tried this recipe and it was excellent! Thanks for sharing something so easy and healthy to make.
ReplyDeleteI made this tonight with sweet italian turkey sausage and spinach instead of escarole. My husband needs big flavors usually doesn't like light recipes because they are bland. He and I both devoured this. So tasty. Trust me, you don't need any extra olive oil, resist the urge -- the pasta water works wonders!
ReplyDeleteMade this tonight and hubby loved it! Used spinach and added some grape tomatoes. Soooo good.
ReplyDeleteThis is my 6th ST recipe if I'm counting correctly and once again - amazing! I halved it and it halved beautifully but just because I like them, I would add more escarole and more peppers next time. Also, my hubby is not the hugest fan sausage so I did half chicken sausage and half ground chicken. I left out the oil and did PAM as usual and it was so good! Another ST staple. I may actually make this one again this week it is that good.
ReplyDeleteOoh, one more comment to add to my post above. Once again (as with the pasta with brussels sprouts), I found that halving this recipe gave me a very generous portion. I counted it as 4 servings on WW and that makes it 6 PP per serving. Hooray!!!!
ReplyDeleteThis was dinner last night thanks to a head of escarole from our CSA. I did use precooked sausage and a purple and green pepper instead. I found we had a lot of pasta and less veggies/sausage, but I think I used a lot less sausage than on the recipe. Either way, it was a nice change of pace and a great use of our CSA veggies. Bonus that Ronzoni Smart Taste was on sale :)
ReplyDeleteSo amazing!! Loved every bite! Did exactly as you said but used fresh spinach instead. So so yummy!!! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteMade this for dinner tonight, it was SO good! I was very surprised there was enough liquid in it to make it tasty. I came VERY close to adding sauce, but then tried it without it, and it was PERFECT!!!! Reminded me of italian restaurant dishes I've gotten in the past. But I know that sauce was made with lots and lots of BUTTER. ... Chris
ReplyDeleteSaw this on the list of 2011 best recipes and couldn't agree more. Made this tonight for dinner with my mom and it turned out fabulous. Even my dad, who typically doesn't enjoy "healthy" choices loved it. We used spinach instead of escarole and added mushrooms. It made so much, which will be delicious for lunch tomorrow I am sure. Thanks again for all these amazing recipes. It makes eating healthy so easy and tasty! Keep em coming!
ReplyDeleteI used Jenni-O Italian turkey sausage and substituted spinach because my grocer didn't carry escarole. It is delicious and my husband LOVED it. We have plenty of leftovers, which is always a good thing and this recipe was so easy and quick. It will definitely be on my dinner rotation.
ReplyDeleteGina, you make healthy cooking/eating fun! I use your principles/substitutions when I make my other dishes as well. I often feel guilty after eating your food because I think it all tastes so yummy it can't surely be healthy!!! :)
Made this last night and it was sooo good! I couldn't find chicken sausage so I used ground chicken breast and it was very good. I was worried it would dry out, but nope! Looking forward to my leftovers for lunch!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I had this for dinner last night and it was AMAZING! We used spinach because my grocery store didn't have escarole and we added a small amount of a basil and garlic tomato sauce.
ReplyDeleteGina - I made this the other day for my husband and boys and it was a hit! Although - I think I will omit the red pepper flakes next time or just shake it on my husband's plate. I used ground chicken since my grocer did not have chicken sausage. This is only the 2nd pasta recipe I have that is not red! This is delicious! I was amazed that the escarole was fabulous in it. This is going into the rotation!
ReplyDeleteDelicious! I used 3/4 lb of italian turkey sausage and 1 link of Italian pork sausage, and spinach instead of escarole (the latter unavailable here). Husband and I kept 'picking' out of the main serving bowl because it was so yummy.
ReplyDeleteI made this last night and it was incredible! I couldn't find escarole, so I used fresh spinach instead. I also couldn't find uncooked chicken sausage (might have to do some searching!), so I found pre-cooked sausages in a bratwurst-like form. They didn't break up very nicely, but we just cut the large chunks into smaller ones while eating. Fabulous flavor! LOVE your website, Gina!
ReplyDeleteAnother awesome recipe Gina! I just came to comment and let you know how I had to make a few mods to the recipe when I noticed the comment above mine.....I did exactly the same thing! I used spinach and could only find Hillshire Farm Apple Gouda Chicken sausage links. It came out super yummy! Oh...and I added a can of petite diced tomatoes! I recalculated my points and came out with 10 points per serving, and so worth it.
ReplyDeleteHi Gina would Premio sausge work as good as the other brands
ReplyDeleteHello Gina. I used regular sausage instead of chicken sausage. How does it effect the points plus? It came out amazing!!! Thanks for all your recipes !!!!
ReplyDeleteYou can use a potato masher to break up the sausage. Its easier than a wooden spoon!
ReplyDeleteMade this tonight and it was a hit! Thanks for a great site, Gina.
ReplyDeleteJust finished dinner, this was so yummy! Even my Italian husband loved it. Used whole wheat pasta and chicken sausage - we will be making this again.
ReplyDeleteDelicious! We made this last night and will definitely make it again. I used Sweet Turkey Italian Sausage and loved the combo.
ReplyDeleteGina, This is the first time I've posted, but I've tried many of your wonderful recipes. I just made this for my Grandmother and she said if she had this at a restaraunt she would think she would be truly impressed. Thank you so much for posting all of these recipes. I would love them even if they were not low cal, that just makes it all the better! Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteMade this tonight and really liked it! Used kale because the escarole at the market looked lousy. This was the first one of your recipes I've tried but it won't be the last!
ReplyDeleteThis was very good! I used chicken broth instead of the reserved cooking liquid and I also added a splash of white wine and allowed this to reduce a bit. I also used broccoli instead of escarole. One of my daughters LOVED it and the other 2 didn't complain. That's a success in our house!
ReplyDeleteI have made this several times in the original recipe. Tonight I tried it with kale instead of escarole (because I couldn't find it) and gluten-free penne. Delicious!!
ReplyDeleteMade this last night. It is AWESOME. Followed the directions, but want to try it with either Kale or spinach next time; only to have different tastes. I did like the escarole and would make it again with that. My husband also liked this. For a 8+ WW points, this was a huge serving. I enjoyed every bite of it.
ReplyDeleteI made this last night and it was so delicious. I live in LI also and I found premio italian chicken with cheese and garlic sausages, and I was surprised how good they were. Thank you for all your great recipes.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to make this but was wondering how much fresh spinach to use? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSuper yummy. I left out the escarole because I didn't have it on hand. Super yummy. I also used Premio Italian Chicken Sausage links. My husband siad he could care less if had regular sausage. Put over low carb pasta. This is a weekly staple. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI made this a couple months ago and it was delicious. Thanks for a super easy dish.
ReplyDeleteMade this last night - Mmm, delicious! I've never used escarole before but figured since I love broccoli rabe, I'd probably love this - I was right! I added a package of mushrooms (probably around 12 oz) to bulk up the (already generous) serving size even more - they added lots of flavor and even more liquid to the sauce. I'd eat the meat mixture by itself, no pasta needed, that's how good it is! Great recipe Gina!
ReplyDeleteI just made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing! I am so glad that I found your site. Thank you for the wonderful and healthy recipes
ReplyDeleteSo Delicious!!! Im making it AGAIN tonight for dinner!!!
ReplyDeleteCan you use breakfast chicken sausage? My grocery store was out of chicken sausage. Don' really know the difference between the two.
ReplyDeleteHow would this taste re-heated? My husband works nights, so everything I make needs to be able to be put in the fridge and reheated.
ReplyDeleteWe've re-heated and it's fantastic! Enjoy!
DeleteThis was awesome.. made it last night... I didn't have the escarol...but it was still yummy. My kids even ate the red peppers which was first... wanted to make sure I can make it again since it was so yummy!!
ReplyDeleteMade this for the second time tonight and we absolutely love it! We use Italian turkey sausage in place of the chicken sausage and tonight I forgot to reserve the noodle water, so I just used a splash of chicken broth and it turned out fantastic! Thanks for another great recipe!
ReplyDeleteI love your website Gina. I'm a full time wife, mother, teacher and a student, so I normally cook a week' meal on the weekend. How do you suggest I freeze some of these meals? Should I us a freezer bag or a glass Tupperware?
ReplyDeleteDelicious.. used about 6 cups of kale instead. I'd really do the parm separately, it stuck a lot to the pan and serving spoon as I mixed it all together.
ReplyDeleteMade this tonight - it was so delicious! I used the spicy Italian chicken sausage from Whole Foods and collard greens. I'm so excited for leftovers tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteSo, I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to think of this, since I had no idea what escarole was (maybe we call it something different in England?). However I followed the recipe tonight exactly how it was written. OH - MY - GOD it is delicious! It was my first time using chicken sausage too (which my brother thinks is a crime against nature lol). The only chicken sausage I could get was one infused with pesto, so I'm sure that only added to the party that was taking place inside my mouth.
ReplyDeleteFor anybody that is put off by the escarole, please for the love of food, try this! I guarantee you won't regret it.
Sarah
/calculating how many minutes until lunch tomorrow :)
This dish was delicious! I was a little weary due to not really having a "sauce" but it came out great. I don't have access to escarole so I used spinach and I ended up using Johnsonville chicken sausage w/apples in it and it came out great. The juice from the chicken and the veggies made a nice sauce. I also didn't use the cheese b/c I was not able to get it were I'm stationed.
ReplyDeleteMade this for dinner tonight. It is soooooo yummy!! I could not add the escarole or spinach as my husband cannot have anything with Vitamin K. But it was very good anyway. I added more water than a cup and it was very saucy. A definite keeper in my recipe box!!
ReplyDeleteI am making this tonight with spinach and roasted red pepper chicken sausage---adding baby bella mushrooms and some white wine to the "sauce," subbing spinach for the escarole and adding a mix of fresh red bell pepper and roasted red peppers to compliment the sausage. Can't wait!
ReplyDelete