Description
A creamy, cheesy pasta dish with Italian sausage and fresh spinach in a rich tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz penne pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot), casings removed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt (plus more for pasta water)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 (24 oz) jar marinara sauce (or 3 cups)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella (plus more if desired)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne until al dente, then drain (reserve 1/2 cup pasta water).
- Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook 6–8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and cooked through.
- Add garlic, red pepper flakes (if using), and Italian seasoning. Cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in marinara and simmer 3–4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in heavy cream until the sauce turns creamy and smooth.
- Add spinach and stir until wilted, 1–2 minutes.
- Toss in cooked penne. If needed, loosen with a splash of reserved pasta water.
- Sprinkle mozzarella over the top, cover, and let melt 2–3 minutes (or broil 1–2 minutes for browned, bubbly cheese).
- Finish with Parmesan and cracked black pepper. Serve hot.
Notes
- Use fresh spinach for best results.
- Adjust red pepper flakes for desired spiciness.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 720
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 1200mg
- Fat: 40g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 90mg