Creamy Sausage and Spinach Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta (such as penne or rotini)
• 1 lb ground sausage (mild or hot Italian sausage)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic (cloves, minced)
• 1.5 cup heavy cream
• 0.5 cup parmesan cheese (grated)
• 3 cup fresh spinach (packed)
• red pepper flakes (to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.

2. 2

   In a large skillet or pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through.

3. 3

   Add the minced garlic to the pan with the sausage and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.

5. 5

   Stir in the grated parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce begins to thicken slightly.

6. 6

   Add the fresh spinach to the pan and stir until it is wilted and incorporated into the sauce.

7. 7

   Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly to coat every piece of pasta in the creamy sauce. Serve immediately.

Notes

For extra flavor, you can deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine after browning the sausage. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water.

Nutrition per serving

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