Description
A comforting and flavorful dish featuring creamy sauce, spicy sausage, and vibrant spinach—perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage (ground)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust for spice preference)
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh basil leaves (torn, for garnish)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the penne pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add ground sausage and cook until browned (about 5-7 minutes). Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.
- Lower heat to medium, add minced garlic, and sauté until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add sun-dried tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir in heavy cream and simmer for 3-5 minutes to thicken.
- Mix in grated Parmesan cheese, cooked sausage, and baby spinach. Cook until spinach wilts (about 1-2 minutes). Season with salt and pepper.
- Add cooked penne to skillet and toss everything together, using reserved pasta water to achieve desired sauce consistency.
- Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves and extra Parmesan cheese.
Notes
For a lighter dish, consider using half-and-half instead of heavy cream. You can also try pre-cooked sausage for quicker prep.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 70mg
Keywords: pasta, tuscan, creamy, sausage, weeknight dinner, Italian