Simple Italian Sausage Spaghetti Dinner
8 ounces whole-grain thin spaghetti (see note)1 teaspoon olive oil1 small onion (for about 1/2 cup chopped) 1/2 pound mild or hot Italian sausage 1/2 cup red or dry white wine2 cans (14 ounces each) no-salt-added diced tomatoes1 can (6 ounces) no-salt-added tomato paste1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic1 teaspoon sugar1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, or to tastePrepare the pasta according to package directions.Meanwhile, heat the oil in a 4 1/2-quart saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Peel and finely chop the onion, adding it to the pan as you chop. Remove the casings from the sausage (if necessary), and crumble the sausage into the pan. Stir and cook, breaking up the sausage, until the sausage is cooked through and the onion is tender, about 5 minutes.Add the wine to the pan and stir to loosen any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the canned tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, garlic, sugar and Italian seasoning. Stir to combine and then reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in the parmesan cheese and continue to cook until pasta is ready. (Sauce can simmer on low for up to 30 minutes, if necessary.)Serve over hot, cooked pasta.Serves four.Cook's note: The nutritional analysis is based on 8 ounces of whole-grain thin spaghetti. This sauce is delicious over any blend of whole-grain and regular pasta or all regular pasta. Only the analysis will change. For testing purposes, we used Hodgson Mill Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti.Nutrition values per serving: 433 calories, 12 g fat (4 g saturated), 63 g carbohydrates, 11 g fiber, 20 g protein, 20 mg cholesterol, 558 mg sodium.