Beans are paired with pasta in this one-dish, Italian-style meal. The sauce for the White Bean and Sausage Linguine is a light white sauce with only a little cream; it takes its flavor and texture from the fresh herbs and vegetables.

I used an Italian-style turkey sausage flavored with fennel.

I prefer the smaller Great Northern beans for this recipe. Small cannellini beans also work well, but can be hard to find.

A fresh, ripe tomato with Parmesan cheese and chives makes a colorful side dish. Since only a small amount of Parmesan is needed, I like to buy the best quality. Look for Parmigiano-Reggiano stenciled on the rind; that means it has been aged at least two years, producing a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

This dish, more savory than spicy, would go nicely with a rich and silky pinot blanc.

This meal contains a total of 651 calories per serving with 19 percent of calories from fat.

A few helpful hints: Any type of low-fat sausage can be used. Minced garlic can be found in the produce department. If fresh basil is unavailable, use fresh rosemary or thyme. The fastest way to chop chives is to cut them with a scissors.

To see printable versions of the recipes, click on the names below:

White Bean and Sausage Linguine

Parmesan Tomatoes

Linda Gassenheimer: DinnerInMinutes.com.