• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

The Genetic Chef

  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shop
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Shop
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home » Pasta

    Creamy Sausage Pasta with Spinach

    Published: Mar 7, 2023 by Natalie · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    JUMP TO RECIPE PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE

    If you’re looking for a quick simple meal, then this creamy sausage pasta with spinach is for you. Shallots, tons of garlic, Italian sausage, and spinach are all tossed and coated in a flavorful creamy cheese sauce. Doesn’t that sound de-lush-ous?! And it’s all done in about 30 minutes.

    A skillet of cheesy sausage pasta.

    This is a meal that the whole family will love. It’s creamy, cheesy, garlicky, with a tiny kick from some crushed red pepper. The sauce is further enhanced with a shot of white wine because that little bit of acid brightens the whole dish. 

    I use Pecorino Romano cheese to make this dish because I happen to buy pounds of it - like a quarter of a wheel. Yes, it’s a lot but being Italian, I use it in many dishes like pesto, my sausage pasta bake, and my baked rigatoni with three cheeses. I use it interchangeably with Parmesan. One thing to note about using Romano cheese, it's a bit saltier than Parmesan so taste and salt to your liking.

    USE SWEET OR HOT SAUSAGE...

    • Breaking up sausage in a skillet.
    • Adding spinach to sausage in a skillet.

    I use sweet Italian sausages but if you live on the wild side, you can use hot Italian sausages. If you do, I would omit using the crushed red pepper unless you’re into pain.

    The shallot adds great flavor as does using four cloves of garlic. So you know, I use big cloves of garlic. Again, being half Italian and half Peruvian, we like our food to have flavor.

    You may think a whole container (5 or 6 ounces) of spinach seems like a lot, but it does wilt away to nothing. The important thing is that it's a green and it will give you a false sense that this dish is maybe a little healthy. It isn’t. Let’s not kid ourselves.

    YOU NEED REAL CREAM TO MAKE CREAMY SAUSAGE PASTA...

    • Pouring heavy cream into skillet with browned sausages and wilted spinach.
    • Mixing cream into the spinach and sausage in a skillet.

    I use heavy cream in this creamy sausage pasta and I would not substitute it for anything less. To make things even better, I use a good amount of Romano cheese which thickens the sauce and gives this dish its saltiness. Taste the sauce before adding more salt.

    The heavy cream gives all that delicious fat to make this creamy sausage pasta but to make it more delicious we need a little acid to cut through that fat and make it shine. For that I use some white wine. You could use lemon juice if you don’t have wine. Just don’t use cooking wine - like ever. It doesn’t have to be expensive wine, it just has to be real white wine. Ok?

    A LITTLE NUTMEG MAKES IT EVEN BETTER...

    A skillet of cheesy sausage pasta.

    Finally, throw in a dash of nutmeg because this is a cream sauce and it just gives it that special something something. Nutmeg is the ingredient that makes a cream sauce better.

    I’d call this a one pot meal but you need a pot to boil the pasta. The pasta needs to be cooked al dente - with a bite. We don’t want soft limpy pasta. In fact, soft and limpy is never desired, is it? Check out my post on How To Cook Pasta.

    Closeup of pasta, sausage, and spinach tossed in a creamy sauce.

    For more pasta goodness, check out:

    • Sausage with broccoli and pasta
    • Baked rigatoni with three cheeses
    • Creamy fettuccine with peas and ham
    • Angel hair with sauteed tomatoes
    • Spaghetti with garlic butter and cheese
    • Peruvian Pesto
    • Spinach Pesto

    Life is too short for mediocre food.

    HAVE YOU SEEN THESE?

    • 30 MINUTE SOUR CREAM DROP BISCUITS
    • SUPER SIMPLE STRAWBERRY JAM BARS
    • DELICIOUS HEALTHY CURRY ROASTED CAULIFLOWER
    • IRISH SODA BREAD (BAKED IN A DUTCH OVEN)

    PIN THIS RECIPE FOR CREAMY SAUSAGE PASTA WITH SPINACH TO SAVE FOR LATER.

    FOLLOW ME ON PINTEREST FOR MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES!

    TOOLS USED IN THIS RECIPE

    Check out my Shop for product recommendations.

    A cast iron skillet filled with creamy cheesy pasta with spinach and sausage.

    Creamy Sausage Pasta with Spinach

    PRINT PIN
    If you’re looking for a quick simple meal, then this creamy sausage pasta is for you. Shallots, tons of garlic, Italian sausage, and spinach are all tossed and coated in a flavorful creamy cheese sauce. Doesn’t that sound de-lush-ous?! And it’s all done in about 30 minutes.
    Course: Main Course, Pasta
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Creamy Sausage Pasta, Pasta, Spinach
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Author: Natalie Gregory

    Equipment Used

    12" skillet
    metal spoon
    wooden spatula
    measuring cup

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound penne pasta or pasta of choice
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 medium shallot finely diced
    • 4 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 pound Italian sausage casings removed
    • 5 or 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 2 tablespoons white wine
    • 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese can substitute Parmesan
    • Kosher salt to taste - remember the cheese is salty
    • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper ½ teaspoon if you like spicy
    • ½ teaspoon pepper
    • ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Cook pasta until al dente - 2 minutes less than the recommended packet directions. Don’t forget to add salt to the water. Check out how to cook pasta for tips. Drain and set aside..
    • Place a large 12” skillet over medium heat and add olive oil. Add the finely diced shallots and saute for about 3 minutes until softened and just starting to turn color.
    • Add garlic, salt, crushed red pepper, and pepper and sauté until fragrant - about 1 minute.
    • Add the sausages and break it up as you stir. I use a flat wooden spatula or good sturdy spoon to break it up. Cook until browned.
    • Add in the baby spinach in batches. Add a handful at a time and stir to make it wilt then continue with remaining until it’s all added. You’ll see it wilts to nothing.
    • Lower the heat and stir in the cream and nutmeg.
    • Add the Romano cheese. Continue to cook, stirring, until it starts to simmer. Do not let it boil.
    • Add the cooked pasta and combine until it’s all coated. Remove from heat. The sauce will appear very loose. Do not worry. It needs to sit for at least 10 minutes for it to thicken up. Stir as it sits and you will notice the sauce will go from loose to creamy, coating the pasta and sausage beautifully.

    Notes

    I’ve prepared this ahead and let it sit while taking the pictures. After an hour or so, I warmed it up on the stove top over low heat, stirring here and there, for about 10 minutes. It warmed up beautifully and didn’t separate.
    Did you make this recipe? Tag @thegeneticchef and use #thegeneticchef and tell me all about it!

    More Delicious Italian Recipes

    • Super Quick No Chopping 10 Minute Tomato Sauce
    • Angel Hair with Sautéed Tomatoes
    • 30 Minute Quick Tomato Sauce
    • Roasted Eggplant Parmesan (Parmigiano) Stacks

    See More Italian Recipes →

    More Delicious Pastas

    • Velvety Smooth Peruvian Pesto (Tallarines Verdes)
    • New England American Chop Suey / American Goulash
    • Easy Tri-color Cheese Tortellini Pasta Salad
    • Made From Scratch Tuna Casserole

    See More Pasta →

    More Pasta

    • St. Joseph’s Spaghetti (Spaghetti di San Giuseppe)
    • Sausage Pasta Bake with Mozzarella
    • Simply Delicious Spinach and Cheese Pasta Salad
    • Creamy Velvety Penne alla Vodka

    NEVER MISS A RECIPE!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Natalie

    I'm Natalie a.k.a The Genetic Chef. Here you will find from scratch family recipes coupled with humor, helpful tips, and product recommendations.

    More about me →

    Categories

    AMAZON ASSOCIATES DISCLOSURE

    The Genetic Chef is an Amazon affiliate. If you click through to Amazon from my website, I get a small commission at no cost to you which helps me keep this site going. Thank you for your support!

    Visit My Shop!

    Product Recommendations

    Vitamix 5200 Blender

    Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor

    KitchenAid 6 Qt. Professional 600 Series

    Breville Smart Oven Pro

    Le Creuset 7-1/4-Quart (Dutch) Oven

    Duralex Stackable 9-Piece Bowl Set

    Lodge 10.25 Inch Cast Iron Skillet

    Nordic Ware Baker's Half Sheet

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Privacy Policy

    Subscribe

    Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 TheGeneticChef

    Foodie Pro Theme