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Easy Penne with Spinach and Chicken Sausage Recipe

Easy Penne with Spinach and Chicken Sausage

Penne pasta is tossed with browned Italian-style chicken sausage, spinach, tomatoes, white wine, chicken broth, and Asiago cheese for a flavorful 30-minute dinner. This recipe makes approximately 4–6 servings.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients
  • 1 pound Penne pasta
  • 1 tablespoon Olive oil
  • 1 pound Italian-style chicken sausage, casings removed
  • 1 clove Garlic, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dried crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 1/2 cups Dry white wine
  • 1 cup Reduced-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 14 1/2-ounce can Diced tomatoes
  • 1 10-ounce package Frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup Grated Asiago cheese

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne until al dente, usually about 10 minutes, then drain.
  2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken sausage, break it into small pieces, and cook for about 5 minutes, until browned and cooked through.
  3. Add the minced garlic and dried crushed red pepper flakes to the skillet. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring frequently so the garlic becomes fragrant without burning.
  4. Pour in the white wine, chicken broth, and diced tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid is somewhat reduced, about 5 minutes.
  5. Stir in the thawed, well-drained spinach, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until the spinach is hot.
  6. Add the drained penne to the skillet with the sausage and spinach mixture. Toss until every piece of pasta is coated with the sauce.
  7. Sprinkle the grated Asiago cheese over the pasta. Toss gently until the cheese is distributed through the hot penne.
  8. Serve the pasta hot while the sauce is glossy and the cheese is still fragrant. Spoon the penne into bowls and enjoy immediately.

Notes

Squeeze the thawed frozen spinach very dry before adding it so excess water does not thin the sauce. Cook the penne just until al dente because it will absorb some sauce when tossed in the skillet. Fresh baby spinach can replace frozen spinach; use roughly 5–6 ounces and stir it in near the end until wilted. Parmesan can replace Asiago, although Asiago has the sharper, nuttier flavor used in this recipe.