The 20-minute creamy spinach and sausage pasta for a family feast
It’s a Monday evening in our house, and we’re looking through our cupboards and fridge, trying to put together a meal to please our whole family. This can be challenging. That’s why this recipe is a must in every home. With just five ingredients that are staples in our homes, creamy spinach and sausage pasta is quick to prepare and delicious.
As parents, we often have a hard time balancing our family’s meals with our busy schedules. Trying to feed our picky little ones is a whole other dilemma in our homes. Weekdays leave us mommies in despair with what to make.
This recipe is a winner; it’s our spin-off of the creamy garlic, spinach, and sausage pasta that can be adjusted to every family’s needs. We added some of our family’s favorite veggies into the mix: green beans, broccoli, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes to tweak the Italian classic. Anything for extra flavor, color, and nutrition. This elevates the dish and puts our very own spin on the recipe.
We couldn’t decide what pasta to use, as we only had a few options in our pantry. This recipe works with any type of pasta. We tried the recipe with penne, spaghetti, and even farfalle, the pretty little bow-shaped pasta, and it worked with all of them. Our family couldn’t decide on their favorite because they loved them all.
When feeding a larger crowd, we added ground mince with bacon instead of the ground sausage. We also added more cream and veggies to the sauce so that the pasta wasn’t dry when combined. This made it go a long way and became the crowd-pleaser in our home.
For vegan, vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-free families, this recipe can be adapted to a friendly option to suit any family’s dietary restrictions.
Choosing gluten-free pasta, vegetarian lean ground sausage, and plant-based vegan-friendly parmesan cheese alternatives will work for our recipe. The result will be just as delicious and nutritious.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground sausage (or vegan/vegetarian alternatives)
- 1 pound pasta of choice
- 6 ounces Spinach
- 2 ounces of butter (or substitute for vegan option)
- 12 ounces heavy cream (or lactose-free/vegan option)
- 1 cup of grated parmesan (or the vegan option)
Directions
- Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add a tablespoon of salt to the water and pour in the pasta. Stir through the pasta with a wooden spoon for two minutes to ensure that it doesn’t stick and allow the pasta to cook for 8 minutes until it’s al dente. Don’t overcook it.
- Saute the ground sausage in a deep pan until golden brown in a teaspoon of butter. Remove the cooked sausage.
- In the same uncleaned pan used for the sausage, add the heavy cream and the remaining butter. Bring the cream and butter to a slight boil until the butter has completely melted. Add in the spinach, and stir.
- Add the cooked sausage into the creamy spinach mixture. Then, dump in all of the parmesan cheese and stir it through on a low heat until the cheese has blended in.
- When the pasta is ready, use a collider to strain the pasta water into a bowl. Keep this pasta water to use as needed if the pasta needs more liquid.
- Add the pasta into the creamy sauce and fold through. Add some of the pasta water as needed to coat all the pasta and blend the ingredients thoroughly.
- Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh parsley for the added richness of flavor, and enjoy the meal.
Recipe tips
- Ground sausage is full of flavor on its own. Avoid adding additional salt or pepper; instead, add something like chili flakes or cayenne pepper for a kick and burst of flavor.
- Don’t wash the pasta off as the pasta’s starch helps the sauce absorb into the pasta.
- Six ounces of spinach looks like a lot when adding it into the pan but remember spinach welts and shrinks in size very quickly; add the spinach in a handful at a time and stir it for a few seconds before adding the next handful into the sauce.
- Feeding a hungry family an additional side might be needed. This recipe pairs well with a salad or dinner buns. Search the fridge or pantry and get creative. Work with what’s available.
