Description
Savory creamy spinach sausage pasta delight recipe combines Italian-inspired ingredients with hearty comfort. Home cooks can craft this delectable meal in under 30 minutes, delivering rich flavors you’ll crave.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (453 g) Italian sausage
- 1 lb (453 g) pasta, such as penne, rigatoni, or ziti
- 4 oz (113 g) fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup (50 g) grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 32 oz (946 ml) chicken broth, or 4 cups
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
Instructions
- Sauté Foundation: Heat a medium-large pot with olive oil, then combine diced onions and crumbled sausage, cooking until onions become translucent and sausage achieves a golden-brown exterior.
- Aromatic Enhancement: Introduce minced garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring briefly to release their intense fragrance and infuse the base with robust flavor profiles.
- Liquid Integration: Pour chicken broth into the pot, submerge pasta completely, cover, and bring to a vigorous boil before reducing to a gentle simmer.
- Pasta Perfection: Stir occasionally to prevent sticking, cooking until pasta reaches ideal al dente consistency, approximately 8-10 minutes.
- Verdant Transformation: Remove from heat, immediately fold in fresh spinach leaves, allowing them to wilt from residual warmth and incorporate their vibrant green color.
- Creamy Finalization: Drizzle heavy cream and sprinkle parmesan cheese, gently stirring to create a luxurious, velvety sauce that enrobes each pasta strand.
- Resting Stage: Allow the dish to rest for 2-3 minutes, enabling flavors to harmonize and sauce to slightly thicken before serving.
Notes
- Prevent Pasta Sticking: Stir frequently during cooking to avoid clumping and ensure even heat distribution.
- Manage Liquid Absorption: Monitor broth levels to maintain ideal pasta moisture, adding small amounts if needed to prevent drying.
- Optimize Spinach Wilting: Add spinach off direct heat to preserve vibrant color and prevent overcooking, leveraging residual pot temperature.
- Control Cream Integration: Add cream and cheese last to create silky sauce, stirring gently to maintain smooth consistency without breaking the emulsion.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 704
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 810 mg
- Fat: 42 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 24 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg