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Why I Love This Pasta 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 creates the sauce for a perfect pasta that is a meal in a matter of minutes.
Spinach & Sausage Pasta Ingredients
- 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.
The full amount of each ingredient can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Spinach & Sausage Pasta
Step 1: Cook the pasta – Bring the water to a boil and season with salt. Add in the pasta and cook according to package instructions.
Step 2: Cook the sausage – Place a skillet over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes. Drain the grease, leaving about 1 tbsp to allow the sausage to continue to cook. Place back over medium heat.
Step 3: Add additional ingredients and assemble – Dice the garlic cloves and add to the sausage. Add the spinach. Cook until wilted, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the beans and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer. Using a spider, add the pasta to the skillet with the sausage.
Step 4: Final garnishes – Add in lemon zest and Parmesan cheese. Mix together and serve warm.
Recipe Tips
- Cook the pasta al dente. This means it is not 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 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
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 3-4 days.
More Pasta Recipes
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Weeknight Spinach & Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz short spiral pasta (such as fusilli)
- 1 lb bulk Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or hot)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 5 oz spinach (fresh or frozen, thawed and squeezed dry if very wet)
- 1 15-oz can white beans rinsed and drained
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package instructions for al dente. Reserve ¼ cup of pasta water, then drain.12 oz short spiral pasta (such as fusilli)
- Brown the sausage: In a large 12-inch skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat. Break the sausage into small bite-sized pieces until it is fully browned and cooked, 6-8 minutes. If there is excess grease, drain it off, leaving about 1 tbsp in the skillet. Add the garlic and spinach. Sauté until the spinach is wilted with excess moisture mostly cooked off, 3-4 minutes.1 lb bulk Italian sausage (sweet, mild, or hot), 3 cloves garlic, 5 oz spinach (fresh or frozen, thawed and squeezed dry if very wet)
- Build the sauce: 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. Add a splash of pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.1 15-oz can white beans, ½ cup heavy cream
- Finish: Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese and lemon zest.¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tsp lemon zest
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did you make this? Leave a comment below!
Absolutely delicious! Easy and quick to make.
I made this last night after seeing the reel on FB. I didn’t have beans so I added some fresh mushrooms cut up with the spinach onion and sausage. My and I husband loved it. Will definitely make it again. Quick supper.
Thank you
I made this for dinner last night and it was so easy! And soooo good! It came together fast and was perfect.💜