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A quick and flavorful Italian-inspired pasta dish with crumbled Italian sausage, mushrooms, spinach, and a rich tomato sauce, ready in about 30 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights and family dinners.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 oz pasta (farfalle or penne)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 8 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced
  • 15 oz mild Italian sausage, crumbled
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbs from Provence
  • red pepper flakes to taste
  • 13 oz tomato sauce (such as tomato pasta sauce or marinara)
  • 6 oz fresh spinach
  • salt to taste
  • coarsely ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente; drain and set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large, high-sided skillet over medium heat.
  3. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 3–5 minutes until tender; remove mushrooms and set aside.
  4. Add crumbled Italian sausage to the skillet and cook about 5 minutes, breaking it up, until no longer pink; drain excess fat.
  5. Add minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the sausage; stir briefly.
  6. Pour in tomato sauce and add fresh spinach; bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to simmer and cook, stirring, about 5–10 minutes until spinach is wilted.
  7. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the skillet; toss to coat and reheat until warmed through; remove from heat.
  8. Taste and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and additional red pepper flakes if desired.
  9. Top the pasta with the reserved cooked mushrooms before serving.

Notes

Tomato sauce can be store-bought; any flavor such as traditional, tomato basil, arrabbiata, or garlic tomato works well., Italian sausage can be mild, sweet, or spicy; links can be used if casings are removed and sausage is sliced or crumbled before cooking., Italian seasoning (or Herbs from Provence) typically contains rosemary, thyme, parsley, tarragon, marjoram, basil, and sage., Optionally add about ¼ cup dry red wine to the sauce for richer flavor., To make it gluten-free, substitute the pasta with your favorite gluten-free short pasta variety., Serve with freshly shredded Parmesan, additional red pepper flakes, or cracked black pepper for added flavor., Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months., Reheat in microwave starting with 1 minute then in 30-second increments, or warm on stovetop over low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://gingerbaking.com/italian-sausage-pasta-30-minute-meal/