Table of Contents
- Why I love this recipe.
- Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Here’s how to make this recipe.
- These pro tips will make this recipe a success.
- Frequently asked questions about this recipe.
- You'll love these other pasta recipes.
- Watch how to make this recipe.
- Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
- Weeknight Spinach & Sausage Pasta Recipe
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A delicious combination of protein-packed ingredients, this weeknight meal is straightforward and quick to create. Ground sausage and pasta serve as an anchor for the dish, providing heartiness. Spinach adds great flavor, while beans add a creamy texture. Topping it off, lemon zest and Parmesan cheese add the final finishing flavors. Allowing for ingredient flexibility, this recipe is the perfect addition to your cooking arsenal.
Why I love this recipe.
A weeknight meal can be easy to leave to a drive-thru or take-out. After working all day, hauling kids around, and running errands, cooking a meal may be the last thing we want to do. We all know homemade food will be healthier, cheaper, and usually taste better, but we need the right recipe so it doesn’t feel overwhelming. Welcome to my weeknight spinach and sausage pasta. The work weeknight is strategically part of the title to show that this can be made quickly with minimal ingredients, many of which you may have on hand. The key is to keep it simple. Italian sausage takes a lot of work to create a quick, full flavor and protein. White beans add a creamy heartiness and extra protein. A bit of cream and cheese create the sauce for a perfect pasta that is a meal in a matter of minutes.
Everything you’ll need to make this recipe.
- Pasta can be any form you happen to have on hand. If possible, choose something with nooks and crannies to hold onto the cheese and trap flavor.
- Spinach adds a quick green full of nutrients that cooks down and almost melts into the finished pasta.
- Italian sausage can be either hot, sweet, or mild. If it has casings, remove them to make ground sausage.
- White beans are a pantry staple, and add a filling ingredient to pasta that easily absorbs all the flavor.
Here’s how to make this recipe.
- Cook the pasta. Bring the water to a boil and season with salt. Add in the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
- Cook the sausage. Place a skillet over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook until browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Drain the grease, leaving about 1 tbsp to allow the sausage to continue to cook. Place back over medium heat.
- Add additional ingredients and assemble. Dice the garlic cloves and add to the sausage. Add the spinach. Cook until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add in the beans and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer. Using a spider, add the pasta to the skillet with the sausage.
- Final garnishes. Add in lemon zest and Parmesan cheese. Mix together and serve warm.
These pro tips will make this recipe a success.
- Cook the pasta al dente. This means it is not quite completely cooked. It will finish cooking with the sausage, giving it the perfect texture. Otherwise, fully cooking the pasta from the beginning will leave it mushy by the end of cooking.
- Smash your garlic before chopping it. This makes it flatter, allowing for it to be chopped more easily and safely. You can even do it before removing it from the husk, making it pop out easier.
- Drain the grease from the sausage. Otherwise, the pasta will soak up the excess, making the overall dish extra oily.
- Allowing a small amount of water to be added to the dish with the pasta fortifies the sauce. It helps the sauce cling to the pasta, unifying it as a full dish.
Frequently asked questions about this recipe.
Yes, if the sausage has casings, just remove them to create ground sausage. Do not use breakfast sausage. Use Italian sausage.
Yes, both work well. Slightly thaw the frozen spinach before adding it. But otherwise, follow the instructions as written.
Technically, yes. The Italian sausage could be substituted with an alternative meat solution, but leaving it out completely will remove much of the flavor. To supplement, add Italian seasoning, ground fennel, and extra kosher salt.
The leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and will last 7 to 10 days.
Watch how to make this recipe.
More weeknight dinner ideas
Creamy Sausage Pasta
Herb Crusted Baked Halibut
Garlic Shrimp Pasta
Chicken, Broccoli and Rice Casserole
Have I Convinced You to Make This Recipe?
I hope you make this recipe and put some food on your table. Leave a comment and share a star rating so you can let others know how much you love this recipe. This helps show others that this is a recipe they, too, can make, enjoy, and love!
Weeknight Spinach & Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta (fusilli was used in this recipe)
- 1 lb ground Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or hot)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 5 oz spinach (fresh or frozen)
- 1 15-oz can white beans rinsed & drained
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package instructions for al dente.12 oz pasta (fusilli was used in this recipe)
- In a large 12-inch skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat. Break the sausage into small bite-size pieces until it is fully browned and cooked, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and spinach. Sauté until the spinach is wilted with excess moisture mostly cooked off, 3-4 minutes.1 lb ground Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or hot), 3 cloves garlic, 5 oz spinach (fresh or frozen)
- Add the white beans and heavy cream. Bring the cream to a simmer and add the cooked pasta. Turn the heat to low and stir the pasta into the sausage mixture.1 15-oz can white beans, ½ cup heavy cream
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and lemon zest.¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tsp lemon zest
Made this for dinner tonight with chickpea pasta and added mushrooms. It was absolutely delicious! Thanks again for another wonderful recipe
This dish was a winner. I used turkey sweet Italian sausage, less fat but the flavor was there. The lemon zest made a tasteful addition. This recipe will be a go to. It was easy and quick to prepare we loved it!
This was a delicious, easy recipe. I used spicy Italian sausage. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Delicious and easy to make recipe! My husband and I love getting different pastas to try with the recipe each time. Thanks Kaleb!
This was so simple and easy to make. I always shy away from adding lemon because it seems so odd, but after watching Kaleb use it in so many recipes, I makes such an impact on the dish!!
Will be making this again!