Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage Pasta

There's no better way to start the autumn season with some books sprinkled with a bit of fairy dust and poetic thoughts.  
Caroline Kennedy wrote in the introduction of her book, A Family of Poems My Favorite Poetry for Children, " Poetry played a special part in our family. We were encouraged to write or choose a favorite poem for each holiday or birthday as a gift for my mother and grandparents instead of buying a card or a present." 

I love this book and highly recommend adding it to your family library. Such a sweet cover with poems nestled inside covering a variety of topics. The book is even more special to me as it came from a co-worker who knows how much I love reading poetry.
Inside Kennedy's book you will find the following poem written by Caroline's mother, Jacqueline. She was in school looking out the window daydreaming about autumn days when she penned her thoughts.

"Thoughts"
by Jacqueline Bouvier

I love the Autumn,
And yet I cannot say
All the thoughts and things
That make me feel this way.

I love walking on the angry shore,
To watch the angry sea;
Where summer people were before,
But now there's only me.

I love wood fires at night
That have a ruddy glow.
I stare at the flames
And think of long ago.

I love the feeling down inside me
That says to run away
To come and be a gypsy
And laugh the gypsy way.

The tangy taste of apples,
The snowy mist at morn,
The wanderlust inside you
When you hear the huntsman's horn.

Nostalgia-that's Autumn,
Dreaming through September
Just a million lovely things
I always will remember.


Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage Pasta

Easy meal for your weekday supper. It's hearty and filling and can be a gluten free meal using gluten free pasta. Great northern beans are soft so when they’re tossed into the mix they lend a creamy consistency to the sauce. The beans are filled with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, too.
Recipe adapted from IowaGirlEats.com and serves 4.
Ingredients:

• 3 cups dried gluten-free or regular gemelli or other short cut pasta
• 3 TB. extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 12 oz. Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage, sliced
• 1 crisp firm apple, peeled then chopped (I used Honey Crisp)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch red chili pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper
• 1-15 oz. can Great Northern Beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 large firm tomatoes, sliced drained on a paper towel, diced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Optional 4 cups torn spinach leaves, stems removed and 1 cup diced red and yellow mini sweet peppers 

Directions:

• Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta and add back into pot.
• Meanwhile, heat extra virgin olive oil in a very large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sausage. Saute until sausage is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add diced apple, garlic, and red chili pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, and then saute until apple is tender, about 5 minutes with peppers if using. Add chicken broth, beans, tomatoes and spinach then toss with tongs until spinach is wilted, about 1 minute.
• Pour sausage and apple mixture into pot with pasta then add in grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until combined, adding reserved pasta cooking water to reach desired consistency.