Smoked Chicken Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Salad

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
• Cooking spray
• 1 (12-ounce) package smoked chicken sausage with sun-dried yellow tomatoes and roasted garlic (such as Gerhard's), thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped drained oil-packed sundried tomato halves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
2. While pasta cooks, place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add sausage; cook 7 minutes or until browned, stirring frequently.
3. Drain pasta. Combine pasta, sausage, cheese, and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine vinegar and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour vinaigrette over pasta mixture; toss gently to coat.