Creamy Italian Sausage Shells

Ingredients

• 1 lb Italian sausage (casing removed)
• 12 oz shell pasta
• 0.5 onion (diced)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 0.5 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 0.5 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
• 2 cup spinach (fresh baby spinach)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• red pepper flakes (to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shell pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. 2

   In a large skillet or pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

3. 3

   Add the Italian sausage to the skillet, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Brown the sausage until fully cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the diced onion to the skillet with the sausage and sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.

5. 5

   Stir in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for about 1 minute until fragrant.

6. 6

   Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

7. 7

   Pour in the marinara sauce and heavy cream. Stir to combine and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

8. 8

   Add the fresh baby spinach to the sauce and stir until the leaves are wilted.

9. 9

   Stir in the grated parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce is smooth.

10. 10

    Add the cooked pasta shells to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat the pasta in the creamy sausage sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

For a spicier kick, use hot Italian sausage. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water.

Nutrition per serving

• dinner
• pasta
• main course
• creamy
• sausage
• comfort food
• weeknight dinner