Penne with Sausage and Spinach
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Total Time 33 minutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb . italian chicken sausage
- 3 cloves of garlic , minced
- 1 tbsp fennel seed , crushed
- 1/2 tsp salt-free italian seasoning
- 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (omit if using hot italian sausage)
- 3 cups water
- 1 (14.5 oz) can of strained tomatoes (can substitute puree)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 1/2 cups of penne pasta
- 1 (6 oz) bag of baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- In a 12-inch non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until you begin to smell the oil. Add the chicken sausage and cook, breaking the meat apart with a spoon or spatula until it's browned. Stir in the garlic, fennel seed, italian seasoning and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, water, 1/2 tsp sea salt, then add the pasta. Raise the heat some and stirring often, cook at a vigorous simmer until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened, about 15-18 minutes.
- Taking a handful at a time, stir in the chopped spinach and cook until it has wilted. Top with the mozzarella cheese and serve.
Notes
It's very important to stir the pasta often because it really will stick to the pan.
Cooking times may vary depending on the type of pasta used. I used brown rice pasta in mine.