The school year has begun and if you are thinking about getting back into a healthy routine, this healthy Mediterranean Pasta Toss is the perfect dinner to help you achieve that! It's not only healthy, it’s pure comfort food that's quick (30 minutes) and easy. This Greek Pasta was also featured in Taste of Home's Simple & Delicious magazine.
Don't get me wrong, I LOVE summer, but it's also a very indulgent time of the year for me, second only to Christmas. And I have to admit, that with being on vacation and all, I have slid off track.
This recipe is very popular at back to school time and in the New Year when you need a quick, healthy and/or make-ahead dinner! It's 12 WW points on my plan, but points can be reduced (see Variations & Substitutions).
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🥘 Ingredients
For this recipe, you don't need to use oil, as there is still some oil on the sundried tomatoes after you drain them. You'll need:
- whole wheat or smart spiral pasta (I use smart pasta rotini)
- Italian turkey sausage
- garlic
- fresh baby spinach
- Kalamata black olives
- sun-dried tomatoes *I use jarred, packed in oil
- feta cheese * I use light/low-fat
*See recipe card for quantities
📖 Variations & Substitutions
- Meat - you can substitute chicken breast or shrimp - they both work really well with this recipe. Or you can substitute breakfast turkey sausages if you don't have Italian turkey sausages. You'll just need to add ½ teaspoon (or more, if you like it spicy) red pepper flakes and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the dish.
- Pasta- you can use any type of pasta, but see below for suggestions
- Sun-dried tomatoes- I like to use the jarred ones (in oil). I drain off the oil. However, you can use the dried type that gets soaked in water
- Spinach - you can substitute frozen spinach, but I recommend fresh
- Black Olives - you can substitute canned black olives, but they are not nearly as good as the Kalamata olives in a jar
- Weight Watchers - (see WW points, below)
- Spicy- add crushed red pepper flakes
💭Top Tip
What pasta to use?
Then there’s the question of which pasta to use. Whole wheat pasta is healthy but it takes a long time to cook and personally, I find it a bit too dense. I prefer to use “smart pasta” because it cooks faster than the whole wheat but you still get 4X as much fiber than if you ate white pasta. Although it’s not quite as healthy as the whole wheat, you are still getting that fiber. And if you’re not a fan of whole wheat, it’s a good alternative. You can read more about healthy pasta HERE. There are also WW friendlier versions of pasta you can use instead. Check out this WW pasta cheat sheet!
🥗 Side Dishes
Here are some suggestions for what to serve with pasta toss:
- Everything Bagel Cloud Bread Recipe (Shown below-WW friendly - 0 points)
- Bread Machine Italian Breadsticks
- Bread Machine Onion & Olive Bread (dipped in balsamic vinegar and olive oil)
- Healthy Roasted Carrots with Brown Sugar
- Quick Cucumber Kimchi
🌡️Storage
You can make this Greek Sausage pasta recipe in advance, and leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days. Stored in an airtight container, it also freezes well for up to 3 months.
🦺Food Safety
- Cook turkey sausage to an internal minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
See more guidelines at USDA.gov and https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/general-food-safety-tips/safe-internal-cooking-temperatures.html
🍽Equipment
You will need a large pot, a strainer, a cutting board and a sharp knife for this Mediterranean Sausage pasta. You'll also need a large skillet (or use an air fryer) to cook your sausages. Alternatively, you could use a Dutch oven to cook everything in. You could also use a food processor (affiliate links) to chop your sundried tomatoes, as they are a bit slippery and tough to cut through with a knife!
👪 Serving Size
This recipe serves 6. However, if you want to cut the recipe in half or double it, just click on the serving size (it's highlighted in blue) and select the number of servings you’d like and the ingredient quantities will adjust accordingly.
🔢WW Points
This dish is 12 WW points on my plan as is. But if you have chicken breast as a 0 (zero) point food and use it instead of turkey sausage, it brings the points down to 9 WW on my plan. You can bring the points down further by using a WW friendlier pasta (see Top Tip). Plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the ww app to see how much it is on your plan.
So, if you’re wanting to get back into healthier eating and are looking for quick, healthy Greek recipes, then give this healthy Greek pasta a try.
And if you are looking for additional healthy pasta recipes, you'll love my Easy Greek Pasta Salad!
⭐ Reviews
Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!
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📋 Mediterranean Pasta Toss Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups uncooked whole wheat or *smart spiral pasta (*I use smart pasta rotini ) 7 oz.
- ¾ lb Italian turkey sausage links casings removed (*or substitute shrimp or chicken)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 oz fresh baby spinach 5 cups
- ½ cup pitted Kalamata black olives halved
- ⅓ cup julienned oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
- ¼ cup crumbled light feta cheese
Instructions
- In a 6-qt. stockpot on stove top, cook the pasta al dente, according to package directions; drain pasta and return to pot. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 4-6 minutes. Remove, slice into 1 inch circles and add to hot pasta.
- Return pasta to burner on low heat, stir in garlic, fresh spinach, olives and sun-dried tomatoes to pot with pasta and sausage; heat through, allowing spinach to wilt slightly. Stir in feta cheese.
Garnish
- If desired, serve with lemon wedges. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese and/or black pepper, if desired.
Sheryl
mmm. . . this looks yummy.
Food Meanderings
It is but the nice thing is that it's really quick
Sheryl
mmm. . . this looks yummy.
Edith
I made your Greek pasta toss last night. It was so good.
Terri Gilson
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Edith!