To celebrate National Pasta Month, Dish it Girl creator and food blogger Dina Deleasa-Gonsar, shared one of her top recipes beloved by her following of fellow home cooks.
\"This hearty pasta dish comes together in less than 30 minutes. It has a protein and vegetable, which an extra win,\" Deleasa-Gonsar said. \"You can sub in chicken sausage, or even a plant-based protein if you prefer.\"
Creamy Italian Spinach and Sausage Pasta
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/GMA/spinachitaliansausagepasta_1634127009388_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Dish it Girl
PHOTO: Creamy pasta with spinach and Italian sausage.
Ingredients
1 pound penne or rigatoni pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian-style chicken sausage, out of casing, crumbled and browned
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 lemon, juiced
Directions
In a large pot of salted, boiling water cook pasta according to package directions. Typically, 6-8 minutes for al dente pasta.
Once finished cooking, reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.
In large saute pan, add some olive oil over a medium heat. Add the sausage to the pan and crumble with the wooden spoon. Once the sausage is cooked through, remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the butter to pan; once melted, add the garlic and shallots to the pan. Saute for 2 minutes.
Then add the flour to the pan continually whisking or stirring to incorporate. Cook the flour through about 1 minute.
Lower the heat and then add in the heavy cream. Continue to whisk, letting the sauce come to a simmer.
Add in the spinach and let it wilt into the sauce, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add the sausage into the pan, stir to incorporate. Add in the pasta; stir to coat. Next, add in the pasta water, continuing to stir.
Turn off the heat and add in the grated cheese. Add a splash of the lemon juice, toss everything together and serve.
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