Description
This Tomato Spinach Sausage Pasta is a flavorful and hearty Italian-inspired dish featuring spicy or mild Italian sausage cooked with garlic, cherry tomatoes, and fresh spinach, all tossed with perfectly al dente farfalle pasta and enriched with tomato puree and warming spices like paprika and cayenne pepper. It’s a simple, satisfying meal perfect for weeknight dinners that combines robust meatiness with fresh, vibrant vegetables.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Sausage and Sauce
- 1 lb (450g) Italian sausage meat (mild or spicy)
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 7 oz (200g) cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 handful fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Pasta
- 4 servings pasta (we used farfalle)
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Saute Sausage and Garlic: While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Cook until the sausage is almost cooked through and no longer pink. Add the chopped garlic and cook for a couple more minutes until fragrant.
- Add Tomatoes and Spices: Stir in the chopped cherry tomatoes along with paprika and cayenne pepper. Cook until the tomatoes soften and release their juices, forming a rich sauce.
- Finish the Sauce: Mix in the tomato puree and add the fresh spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts and is incorporated into the sauce.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta directly into the skillet with the sausage and tomato sauce. Toss well to coat the pasta with the sauce evenly.
- Season and Serve: Season the dish generously with black pepper and chili flakes to taste. Serve hot and enjoy your flavorful tomato spinach sausage pasta!
Notes
- Use mild or spicy Italian sausage according to your heat preference.
- Farfalles or any short pasta like penne or rigatoni works best to hold the sauce.
- Adjust cayenne and chili flakes to make it more or less spicy.
- Fresh spinach can be substituted with kale or Swiss chard for variation.
- For a richer sauce, you can add a splash of cream or grated Parmesan before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (1/4 of recipe)
- Calories: 520 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 710 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 44 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
