Simple Sausage Pasta

Hello!  I’m so excited to be back again to share another recipe with you.  You might remember me from my post Healthy Meatball Sandwiches back in August.

We all have those days where it is getting late and you need to make dinner but you don’t know what to make.  When I get in that spot I start rummaging through my cookbooks searching for any sort of inspiration.  This Simple Sausage Pasta came from one of those nights.  I found a recipe in Giada De Laurentiis book Everyday Italian that sounded good but I didn’t have some of the ingredients and I knew my kids would not like the spices in the dish.  So I changed things up to better suit us and the result was something everyone in my family loved.

This pasta comes together really quick and uses ingredients that I always have in my kitchen.  

 

Simple Sausage Pasta

1 lb ground sausage

12-16 oz box of pasta

3 Tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 red pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

Red Pepper flakes (optional)

 

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions.  Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

While pasta is cooking, add oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add the sausage, red peppers, and onion and cook until sausage is browned with no pink showing.  Add the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.  Add the spinach and toss to combine all the ingredients together.  Add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste, and pasta and again toss to combine.  Add the 1 cup reserved pasta water and continue to cook just until the dish is heated through.

Dish up the pasta into bowls and top with additional parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.  Serve alongside a green salad, fruit, and some crusty bread for a complete meal.

 

Thanks for having me back to share again and check out some of my other favorite quick dinner options- Easy Asian Salmon in Foil (bonus-easy clean up!), Sausage Stromboli Sandwich, and if you’re in the mood for a quick and easy dessert try my Funfetti Cake In A Mug.