This is one of those recipes you can Mix and Match a million different ways. Omit stuff, add stuff, change it up. It’s a method pasta dish…one that’s sure to get your family eating loads of healthy veggies…and it’s ready in no time.
Shopping List
1 package grape or cherry tomatoes
1 pound pasta (we always use whole wheat rigatoni…you use what you have on hand)
1 pound pork sausage (or use chicken or turkey sausage…it’s yummy either way)
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 package chopped frozen spinach, thawed
freshly grated parmessan cheese…as much or as little as your family likes
4-5 basil leaves, chopped
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper…of course!
First, start by roasting your tomatoes…if you dont’ have the time or simply don’t want to do it, just add a cup of packaged sundried tomatoes instead to the pasta the last few minutes…however, the roasted tomatoes are delicious, so I highly recommend you doing it. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees, on a foil-lined baking sheet, toss tomatoes with a few drizzles of olive oil and a few healthy pinches of salt and pepper. Roast 3-4 hours. Simple and delicious.
For the pasta, bring one large pot up to a boil for your pasta. Drop pasta in and cook 5-7 minutes depending on how done you like your pasta.
In another pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown sausage. After sausage is brown, add garlic and saute a minute. Once sausage and garlic are brown, pour in chicken broth to deglaze your pan. Lower heat to low and let chicken broth simmer 2-3 minutes. Add in thawed spianch and your roasted tomatoes (or sundried). Stir around a bit allowing spinach to heat through…2-3 minutes.
Drain your pasta and add to sausage pan. Stir in cheese and basil (you can also stir in 1 tablespoon of butter here to give it an extra something). Done. Yum, yum, yum!
My little helpers love eating “cheesy noodles”. They eat the noodles up so quickly that they don’t realize they’re also eating spinach and tomatoes too.
Some pre-dinner i-Touch watching.
Enjoy!
brandonandmandycox says
Shay! This looks so good. I think I will try to make it this week. Yum! Keep the recipes coming!
brandonandmandycox says
Shay! We made this last night and gobbled it down! Even Brandon – who normally turns his nose up at spinach – loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Debora Siqueira says
Made this for dinner tonight! It was so yummy… the kids and hubby loved it!
Lisa R. says
Just started making this tonight and you can roast the tomatoes drizzled with olive oil for 15 mins. on 400*. Just on a cookie sheet. 🙂 love your recipes!
Melissa H. says
Shay, do you think this would be too bland with ground beef or chicken instead? I really want to like sausage but I just can't…
Thanks so much for sharing all your wonderful recipes!
Mix and Match Mama says
You should use a chicken or turkey sausage! I love substituting with either of those!! If you do use ground turkey or beef, make sure you use at least a tablespoon of Italian seasoning too or else it would be bland.
Alicia says
This sounds delicious! I bought too many cherry tomatoes at Costco and this will be perfect! Question though. Can I roast them today and throw in the refrig until tomorrow? Thanks for the recipes! I've tried many of them and my family always enjoys them!
Mix and Match Mama says
Yes! I love roasting up big batches of cherry tomatoes and keeping them in the fridge. Enjoy!