Peasant Pasta

This is my version of a Rachel Ray  recipe I found years ago. It's just as quick, but much less fat because I use ground chicken breast that I season with Italian Sausage seasoning from Penzey's along with some minced garlic. And yes, it tastes like the real thing!

Now I can tell you what's in the Penzey's mixture. I just don't know the measurements. The ingredients are Salt, Fennel, Pepper and Sugar. I'm going to to make my own mixture next time and see how that turns out. Going by the order of the ingredients,  salt being the first one listedt tells me there is more salt than the the other ingredients and I'd rather cut down on that. 

I DO LOVE my Penzey's though. I have been ordering from them for about 25 years now. Their spices are fresher and cheaper than the grocery store. They also give you samples when you order which is a lot of fun. If you want to check them out, the website is Penzey's.com

Oh, and by the way, if you can't find ground chicken breast, you can grind it yourself even if you don't have a grinder attachment or a food processor. All you need is a Chef's knife and cutting board! Just slice the chicken into thin strips, cut across the other way and then chip away.  I actually prefer doing it this way so I less to wash!

Now onto this quick and easy recipe...

1 lb ground Chicken breast

2 cloves garlic

1 TBLSP Penzey's Sausage Seasoning (see above for the ingredients) 

1 TBLSP Olive oil

24 oz (or thereabouts) spaghetti sauce (homemade or your favorite jarred brand)

A few handfuls of frozen peas

Handful of fresh Basil, chopped

8 oz dry pasta of your choice, cooked according to package directions.

Combine the ground chicken, mibced garlic and sausage seasoning.

Let the mixture sit for a few minutes and preheat your pan over medium heat and add the olive oil.

(You can raise the heat once your chicken is in the pan. It's less prone to smoking this way. )

Cook, stirring to break the meat into crumbles until cooked through.

Add the spaghetti sauce, frozen peas and fresh basil.

Simmer on low for about 10 minutes.

Stir in the pasta and serve!