Dinner Tonight: Italian Sausage and Spinach Pasta
This heavy, filling one-pot meal actually began with a big bag of spinach I scored at a farmer's market in Chicago. I wanted a quick meal that would properly show off the green find. Since I always seem to have pasta around, I started there and somehow came across this recipe in the Boston Globe that pairs spinach with spicy Italian sausage, cooks the pasta in a whole lot of chicken stock, and finishes it with half and half! Light spring fare this is not.
I'm not sure why I wanted such a heavy meal, but I must have been eating too many salads because I destroyed this sucker in a matter of minutes and enjoyed every bite. The spicy sausage balanced the creamy sauce, and the spinach made it seem not quite as fatty as it probably was.
About the only thing I would change next time is the chunks of Italian sausage—I wish they were broken apart so I could have gotten that flavor in every bite. As it stood there were big chunks of sausage mixed in that I had to eat separately from the noodles. Other than that, this is perfect for those that want something filling for dinner without too much hassle.
About the author: Nick Kindelsperger is a freelance writer in Chicago and the co-founder of The Paupered Chef.
Italian Sausage and Spinach Pasta
- serves 2-3 -
Ingredients
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, split in half and sliced into 1-inch pieces
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 pound spaghetti
10 ounces spinach, washed and roughly chopped
1/2 cup half-and-half
Handful grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Procedure
1. Set a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until they begin to release some of their fat. Toss in the chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spoon off any accumulated fat.
2. Pour in the chicken broth. Bring it to a boil. Add the spaghetti. It probably won't all fit in the liquid, but just keep stirring every 10 seconds or so, until it is tender enough sink into liquid. Keep stirring every 30 seconds to allow the noodles to cook evenly. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes.
3. Toss in the spinach, stir, and then cover the pot and cook for 3 minutes. Stir, and then add the half-and-half. Let the sauce thicken, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.
View other entries from Dinner Tonight.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
10 Comments:
Ooh! Ooh! Looks like another keeper. I think I'd add a boil egg to the plate.
Grumpy Old Man at 4:42PM on 05/27/09
We did a healthier version (kale, chicken sausage, and no half-and-half) here: Fettuccine with Spicy Chicken Sausage, Kale, and Tomatoes. Still just as hearty!
weheartfood at 5:00PM on 05/27/09
I actually made something similar recently. I love the combination of greens and sausage (especially kale). But wanted to lighten it up a bit so I used turkey\chicken sausage and whole wheat pasta. Rather then cream I used a combination of cheese and chicken stock. (Some nice reduced fat Parmigianno Regianno.)
It came out really well and was appropriate for this kind of weather.
http://dailyunadventures.blogspot.com/2009/05/comfort-food.html
That said, everything tastes better when you use cream.
Katerina at 5:23PM on 05/27/09
Oooh this sounds delish - especially the healthier versions above (thanks for the suggestions!)
reubensandperrier at 6:18PM on 05/27/09
I really appreciate how this is a one-pot pasta dish. It guess it just takes a ton more stock than the conventional separate skillet for sauce-building technique. But I'm sure it's incredibly flavorful because of it. Defs gonna try this out with that Berkshire ground sausage patiently waiting in the freezer.
JustNancy at 11:10PM on 05/27/09
I've used a similar technique on a lighter, meatless version. In your large pan, cook onion and garlic with some red pepper flakes in about a tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken broth (3 cups is the magic number) and bring to a boil. Add your pasta (stir so it doesn't stick). When the pasta is about 3 minutes from being done, stir in a bunch of trimmed, shredded swiss chard. When the pasta is cooked through, add a handful of your favorite cheese and a squeeze of lemon. I like chevre with this, but pecorino works too.
Amandarama at 7:31AM on 05/28/09
I make a very similar dish, but as Katerina suggests, I also use ww pasta and chicken sausage. Instead of half-and-half, I use whole or 2% milk, which heathifies it further.
Chopped sundried tomatoes are a delicious addition.
isofungi at 9:06AM on 05/28/09
I really like these Dinner Tonight posts--I come home after working a full-time job to a ravenous 2.25 yr-old and hungry husband (who has also worked a full day) and sometimes I need some new ideas or reminders of dishes we might like to eat for dinner. I can't grocery shop every day and depend on a well-stocked pantry and fridge to get us through the week. I also can't stand around leisurely around my kitchen and think about what I'm going to cook that night--the moment I come home, I put on an apron and start my prep. Supper must be ready in 30-45 minutes, otherwise A HORRIBLE MELTDOWN ensues. I mean, an almost 8-mo pregnant woman who needs her food can be ugly to deal with and sometimes the toddler is slightly difficult, too (ha, ha).
Marshmallow at 9:52AM on 05/28/09
Hot damn! This sounds great!
onalark at 1:43PM on 05/29/09
Tried this recipe out a few nights ago- definitely a success! With a few tweaks (skim milk/no cream, no cheese, added red pepper flakes) I still found this to taste rich and delicious - thanks!
Cupcake819 at 11:03AM on 06/03/09