Description
This Tomato Spinach Sausage Pasta recipe is a flavorful, quick, and hearty dish combining spicy Italian sausage, fresh spinach, and tangy tomato sauce with perfectly cooked pasta. Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s an ideal weeknight dinner that brings together savory sausage, sweet cherry tomatoes, and vibrant greens in a satisfying skillet meal.
Ingredients
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
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pasta
- 4 servings pasta (farfalle recommended)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta al dente according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside once done.
- Cook the 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, and sauté until almost cooked through. Add the chopped garlic and continue cooking until fragrant and the sausage is no longer pink.
- Add tomatoes and spices: Stir in the roughly chopped cherry tomatoes, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Let the mixture cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes soften and blend well with the sausage.
- Finish the sauce: Mix in the tomato puree and add the fresh spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the drained pasta into the skillet with the sausage and tomato sauce. Toss everything together to coat the pasta evenly. Season with black pepper and sprinkle chili flakes on top to taste before serving.
Notes
- For a milder flavor, use mild Italian sausage and reduce or omit the cayenne pepper and chili flakes.
- You can swap farfalle with other pasta types like penne or rigatoni.
- To make the dish vegetarian, substitute sausage with plant-based meat alternatives or mushrooms.
- Fresh spinach can be replaced with kale or Swiss chard if preferred.
- Serve with grated Parmesan cheese for extra richness.
