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Spinach and Sausage Pasta

5.0 from 1 vote

Usually in the summer, I gravitate towards fresh, light meals that avoid the stove or oven at all costs. This is not that. This is comfort food, but loaded with greens!

I would love to say this is a quick and easy dinner recipe, but it ended up being a bit more involved than I thought. It is easy, but there is a decent amount of back and forth from pans to food processors. BUT, it is DELICIOUS! You could further elevate this with fresh pasta for a perfect meal for a date night in with a nice glass of wine.

Happy cooking – chat soon!

Isabelle

Spinach and Sausage Pasta

Recipe by Isabelle Heikens
5.0 from 1 vote
Course: Main
Servings

4

servings
Cook Mode

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Ingredients

  • 2 Handfuls Spinach

  • 8 Large Kale leaves

  • 3 Cloves Garlic (small)

  • 1/3 Cup Grated parmesan cheese

  • 2 Sausages

  • 1 Onion (small), chopped

  • 1 Tsp Fennel

  • 1/4 Tsp Harissa

  • 3/4 Cup Chicken stock*

  • 300 G Dried pasta

Directions

  • Blanch the greens: Add the kale and spinach to a pot of boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes. Drain and transfer them to a bowl of ice water. Once cooled, drain and squeeze out all excess moisture. Aim for just over 2 cups of cooked greens once drained.

    Refill the pot with water and generously add salt. Set it on a burner over medium-low heat, so it is ready for the pasta later on.
  • Blend the greens: Add the drained greens, garlic, and a drizzle of olive oil to a food processor, and pulse to blend. Add a few splashes of water to help it blend further if needed. You want it to be very finely chopped, not a smooth puree.
  • Remove the greens puree from the food processor and transfer it to a bowl. Add half of the parmesan, salt, and pepper. Set aside

    *Do not wash the food processor yet – we will be using it again!
  • Cook the sausage: Remove the sausage from its casing and add it to a hot pan. Grind the fennel, and add it along with the harissa to the sausages. Break the meat apart as it cooks.
  • Once the sausage is cooked, remove it from the pan, leaving behind the excess oil. Add the onion to the pan with the leftover oil from the sausage and cook until soft and translucent.
  • Add the sausage, onion, and chicken stock to the food processor. Briefly pulse to achieve a texture similar to couscous.
  • Add the dried pasta to the pot of boiling water. Watch it cook until it is al dente, then drain it once ready.
  • Add the sausage and greens mixture back into the pan over medium-low heat. Mix them together. Add pasta water 1/4 cup at a time to loosen the mixture, mixing to incorporate. Once the desired consistency has been reached (I used 1/2 cup in total), add in the drained pasta and remaining parmesan. Toss until the pasta is coated and serve.

Notes

  • You do not have to use both kale and spinach for this recipe. If you use only kale or spinach, just add more!
  • Powder chicken stock is one of my pantry staples because I rarely have liquid broth on hand. I added a bit of the stock powder to some water to make the chicken stock for this dish.

Did you make this recipe?

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