Creamy Spinach & Sausage Pasta

My dad had given us some home made Italian sausage and I made this for hubby’s lunches. He LOVED this dish. I’m sure most if it depends on the flavor of your sausage, but we honestly couldn’t get enough of it!

You’ll see all my changes written in red. Remember when you click printer friendly you will not get my changes so be sure you refer back to this post.

Creamy Spinach & Sausage Pasta

(Adapted from Budget Bytes)

 

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6 oz. smoked sausage

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes w/chiles I used plain diced tomatoes, plus a small can of diced green chilies

2 cups chicken broth I also added 2 cups water, due to additional pasta

8 oz. pasta I used a 1 pound box of dry pasta

3 cups fresh spinach I used a 9 ounce pkg of fresh spinach

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded Monterrey jack

1 whole green onion

 

Thinly slice the smoked sausage and add it to a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the sausage over medium heat until it is nicely browned (about 5-7 minutes). Drain off the excess fat.

 

 

Dice the onion and add it to the skillet.

 

 

Continue to sauté until the onion has softened (about 5 minutes). Add the can of diced tomatoes with chilies and the chicken broth. Stir to combine and dissolve any browned bits off of the bottom of the skillet.

 

 

Add the uncooked pasta to the skillet and make sure it is all submerged under the liquid.

 

 

Place a lid on the skillet and allow the mixture to come up to a boil.

 

 

Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for about ten minutes, or until the pasta is tender. Stir once or twice while the pasta cooks to keep it from sticking.

 

 

Stir in the fresh spinach, one cup at a time, until wilted. If you add it all at once, the skillet will be too full to stir. Keep the heat on while adding the spinach, so the liquid will continue to simmer and thicken.

 

 

Sprinkle the shredded cheese on top, replace the lid, and let it sit for a few minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

 

 

Slice the green onions and sprinkle them over top. Serve hot!