This meaty pasta recipe is good for blood sugar

When people see "helps maintain blood sugar," they often think vegetarian. But this meaty pasta dish will satisfy your inner carnivore and keep your blood sugar levels happy.

• 1 link (125 g/4 oz) hot Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
• 5 ml (1 tsp) olive oil
• 110 g (3/4 c) chopped onion (1 small)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (398 ml/15 oz) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
• 1 can (213 ml/8 oz) no-salt-added tomato sauce
• 1 can (540 or 398 ml/19 or 15 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 50 ml (1/4 c) waterFreshly ground pepper to taste
• 800 g (4 c/12 oz) whole wheat pasta, fusilli, penne or rigatoni
• 1 bunch (450 g/1 lb) Swiss chard, stems trimmed, leaves washed and torn into bite-size pieces
• 90 ml (6 tbsp) grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation time: 25 minutes. Cooking time: 20 to 25 minutes. Serves 6.

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil for cooking pasta. Cook the sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, crumbling the sausage with a wooden spoon, until browned, three to five minutes. Transfer the sausage to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
2. Add the oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until softened, one to two minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 to 20 seconds.
3. Add the diced tomatoes and mash with a wooden spoon. Add the tomato sauce, beans, water and browned sausage. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, at a lively simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until flavours have blended, 10 to 15 minutes. Season with pepper.
4. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook for five minutes. Add the Swiss chard and stir to immerse. Cook until the pasta is just tender and the chard has wilted, three to five minutes longer. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl.
5. Toss with the tomato sauce. Sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Per serving:

• 390 calories
• 19 g protein
• 65 g carbohydrates
• 11 g fibre
• 6 g total fat
• 1 g saturated fat
• 22 mg cholesterol
• 409 mg sodium

• The celery-like stems of Swiss chard are edible and have a pleasant, mild taste. Cut them into bite-size pieces and steam or boil until tender, six to eight minutes.
• Leftovers? Transform them into a pasta gratin. Spread the leftovers in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Moisten with a little water and top with grated Parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, at 220°C (425°F) until the top is golden and crusty, 25 to 30 minutes.

A small amount of lean turkey sausage goes a long way in imparting a full flavour to this quick pasta sauce. We've boosted the fibre with cannellini beans and the vegetable content with vibrant Swiss chard, which cooks conveniently in the pasta water.