Creamy Sausage and Spinach Penne

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I’ve gotta admit…there are many nights I just don’t have it in me to spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking a meal. Incidentally, many of those same nights, I absolutely can’t bring myself to want to order takeout either. On nights like those, I opt to make my Creamy Sausage and Spinach Penne! I generally keep the ingredients for this recipe on hand (I kid you not), because I can throw it together in 20 minutes (tops) and it tastes like a gourmet meal. I also love it because the sauce pairs extremely well with my Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash to accommodate my Keto lifestyle, while the rest of my family can enjoy their carbs and eat it on pasta. It’s a win…win…win!

To make this dish, you are going to need penne pasta (or my Oven Roasted Spaghetti Squash), mild Italian ground sausage, heavy cream, freshly grated parmesan cheese, garlic powder, Himalayan pink salt, freshly ground black pepper, and spinach.

To make this recipe, I usually begin by cooking the penne pasta according to the package directions. When it is cooked to your liking, strain it and set it aside.

To make the sauce, begin by cooking the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. You’re going to want to break this up into small crumbles as it browns. When the sausage is fully cooked through, pour in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle boil for about 5 minutes. Fold in the parmesan cheese, stirring gently to melt and incorporate. Mix in the garlic powder, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 5 -10 minutes to reduce and thicken further. Finally, add in the chopped spinach gradually, stirring to wilt it throughout.

To serve, ladle the sauce over your penne pasta or spaghetti squash and enjoy! It’s important to note that this sauce also pairs well with fettuccini, linguine and cellentani pastas as well. I have tried them all and love them equally!