On a cold, snowy day like today, the best thing to do is usually cozy up with some hot soup or comfort food, sit in a warm blanket and watch a movie or show on tv. And if you’re like me, I just want something that’s quick to make so I can relax on days like this!
I happen to love pasta on cold days – for some reason, this is one of my favorite comfort foods. I think it’s probably because pasta is something that just tastes better the next day when it soaks in all the sauces/creams overnight, and that means…less or no cooking for at least one meal!
Here’s a really delicious and hearty pasta dish that happens to be fairly easy to make. You’ll be eating in no time and from the people who have tried this recipe so far, this will be surely become a new favorite comfort food in your home!
SAUSAGE & SPINACH ALFREDO PASTA
Needed:
- 1 14.5-16oz package of Rotini pasta (any brand)
- 1 1.25lb package of Hot Italian Sausage with casings removed (any brand)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 10oz. package of spinach/baby spinach (fresh or frozen is fine)
- 1 to 2 jars of Alfredo sauce (any brand)
- 1/4 cup milk or half & half (**1/4 cup used for each bottle of Alfredo sauce)
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 10-12oz. shredded Parmesan cheese (to put in sauce)
- Extra shredded Parmesan (to sprinkle on top before baking) – (about 1/2 cup or more if desired)
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Cook pasta according to level of tenderness desired, drain and set aside
- In a large, deep nonstick skillet or pot, combine the sausage and garlic and cook on medium-high heat until sausage is no longer pink. (Break up sausage into small bite-size chunks with your spoon.)
- Add spinach, cover and cook for 5-7 minutes or until spinach is wilted completely.
- Mix spinach and sausage well and cook for another 2-5mins.
- Stir in Alfredo sauce, milk, pepper and parmesan cheese and cook for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. (Add 2 bottles of Alfredo sauce if you want a saucier pasta dish and 1/2 cup of milk total)
- Remove from heat and combine your boiled pasta and sausage mixture together slowly and until fully incorporated.
- Pour mixture into a large casserole dish or medium sized metal pan, sprinkle extra Parmesan cheese on top and bake uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese melts on top.
- Remove from oven, let stand 5 minutes before serving.
And by the way, if you want to skip the “baking” part of this dish – its totally fine. Just eat immediately after you mix the pasta into the sauce if you want a “saucier” meal.
Enjoy!
