| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 10 ounces mezzi rigatoni
- 4 cups baby spinach (about 3 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, chopped almonds or walnuts
- Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus the juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
- 2 sweet Italian chicken sausage links (3 ounces each), casings removed
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, pulse 2 cups spinach, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon each olive oil and nuts, the lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes in a food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides; add the parmesan and pulse until smooth. Set the pesto aside.
- Form the sausage into nickel-size patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip, add the garlic to the skillet and cook until the patties are just cooked through, about 2 more minutes.
- Add the pasta, pesto and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to the skillet. Toss to coat, adding more cooking water as needed; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining 2 cups spinach. Top with parmesan and the remaining 1 tablespoon nuts; drizzle with olive oil.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 470 calorie |
| Total Fat | 17 grams |
| Saturated Fat | 3 grams |
| Cholesterol | 33 milligrams |
| Sodium | 740 milligrams |
| Carbohydrates | 55 grams |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 grams |
| Protein | 22 grams |
Reviews
I made this tonight for the family . Super easy with excellent taste. Wife & son both tore it up! Good recipe.
It was good, but I’m not sure the sausage really adds anything to it. I upped the spinach & nuts.
Amazing recipe! I used vegan sausage to make this vegan and it was so delicious! Can’t wait to make it again.
Great, quick meal. My family loves it
It sounds a little more complicated than it actually is. I’ve made this twice now and once you know how to do it it’s fairly easy, so don’t be daunted by making your own pesto. I used basil for the pesto instead of the spinach and it works just the same. Absolutely delicious, it’s on the weekly rotation of recipes now.
Good flavor and easy to make.
This was really delicious….super easy….I left out one step only…since chicken sausage I used came in package of 5 (like brats do) I just used 2 links, peeled off the skin and sliced then browned. I didn’t bother rolling them into patties.