Tuesdays are my long days at school. I have class pretty much all day, so dinners on Tuesday nights are typically later and quick.

Pasta has a pretty bad rep. However, there are a few things I’ve leaned to keep this comfort food light and healthy!

I always try to pack my sauce with fresh veggies and protein. I once heard that you should have about 2/3 veggies & protein and only 1/3 pasta. I try to follow that rule. 🙂

Also, there are so many pasta options! You can find whole wheat pasta for $1 at your local grocery store. There are also glutten-free pastas, which honestly, tastes just like wheat pasta.

Last night, I chose to work with whole wheat pasta.

First, you want to dice up any veggies you want to use. I did: * ½ chopped onion, * ½ green bell pepper, * ½ large zucchini, * 1 medium squash.

I cooked them down in extra virgin olive oil, black pepper, garlic powder, and italian seasoning.

Next, I cooked ½ of a box of whole wheat rotini and ½ of a box of whole wheat shells.

My boyfriend, Dj, really likes sausage. To cut back on bad fats, I chose to use 4 links of low-fat turkey sausage.

I am a shrimp addict, so I threw some of those in there as well. (About 3 oz, or 12 medium shrimp.)

After the veggies are cooked, add the turkey sausage and shrimp to the hot pan and sauté them until hot.

(*Both my sausage and shrimp were precooked. If you’re using anything raw, cook them before adding to the veggies!*)

Next, add ½ of a jar of your favorite marinara sauce to the pasta. I like to choose a chunky sauce that is low in sugar.

Mix in the veggie/protein mixture and serve!

This recipe makes about 6 servings (approximately 1 and ½ cups).

Calories per serving: 390