Description
Sausage and spinach pasta delight merges robust Italian flavors with creamy textures for a satisfying meal. Hearty ingredients blend seamlessly, promising comfort and richness you’ll savor with each delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (454 g) Italian sausage
- 12 oz (340 g) penne pasta or 2 packages precooked microwaveable pasta (8.5 oz/241 g each)
- 1 ¾ cups (414 ml) heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup (177 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ⅔ cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, julienned and drained
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp crushed fennel seeds
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed rosemary
- ¼ tsp dried thyme leaves
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Meat Preparation: Activate a spacious skillet over medium heat, aggressively crumbling Italian sausage while simultaneously sautéing diced onions until meat achieves golden perfection and onions turn translucent.
- Aromatic Enhancement: Reduce heat, introducing minced garlic, oregano, fennel seeds, ground black pepper, rosemary, thyme leaves, and crushed red pepper into the sausage mixture, stirring gently to unleash profound flavor profiles.
- Pasta Execution: Concurrently cook penne pasta to al dente precision, draining comprehensively to eliminate excess moisture, creating the perfect pasta foundation.
- Sauce Development: Deglaze the skillet with chicken broth, extracting caramelized essence, then incorporate heavy cream, elevating to a gentle boil and subsequently reducing heat to create a luxuriously thickened sauce.
- Final Integration: Introduce Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh spinach leaves, folding meticulously until cheese dissolves and spinach wilts, then reunite with prepared pasta, ensuring complete flavor distribution.
- Presentation: Transfer to warmed serving vessels, applying final seasoning adjustments and optional Parmesan cheese garnish, ready for immediate consumption.
Notes
- Meat Selection Matters: Choose high-quality Italian sausage with robust flavor for maximum taste impact.
- Spice Precision: Toast herbs like oregano and fennel seeds briefly to unlock deeper, more intense aromatics before adding to the skillet.
- Pasta Perfection: Cook penne just until al dente to prevent mushiness and maintain ideal texture when mixing with sauce.
- Cream Technique: Reduce sauce slowly to develop rich consistency, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching and ensure smooth blending of ingredients.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 7
- Calories: 590
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg