Monday, December 10, 2007

Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, Spinach, and Cream

In process

Finished product

Inspiration:
Cara Brunetti Hillyard
Featured in Bon Appétit, January 2006


Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage (casings removed, if necessary)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
  • 1 14.5-ounce diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pound whole wheat corkscrew or farfalle pasta
  • Optional: 1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
    and/or freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions:
  • Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Add sausage and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes.
  • Add onion, spinach and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer.
  • Add tomatoes and cream.
  • Reduce heat to low and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  • Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite.
  • Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to same pot.
  • Add sausage mixture and toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry.
  • Transfer pasta to serving dish. Sprinkle with basil. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Tim's Rating:7/10 (doesn't like chunky meat sauce)
Liz's Rating: 9/10

No comments: