Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach
Well, here we go! We’re all going to spending a bit more time at home for the foreseeable future and what better time to cook up some delicious food?! I’ve seen a lot of people stocking up on pasta and jarred sauces at the market (in addition to toilet paper, of course) but since most of us will have a lot of extra time on our hands, I think it would be nice to at least be eating good, wholesome and healthy food at the end of the day.
I found this recipe for Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach in the March edition of Food Network Magazine and it does not disappoint. I made a few changes and the result is so delicious! Also, the best part about this dish is that comes together very quickly and there’s really barely any prep work involved.
I know that your local markets might be out of everything at the moment, but that won’t last forever. Once they restock, you should grab the ingredients for this dish and get to www.hayamix.com work. While these are strange and unsettling times, being together with family and enjoying good meals is really the only thought that puts me at ease. Stay safe and healthy and don’t forget to wash your hands!
Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 lb bulk sweet Italian sausage
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed
- 1 large bunch scallions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 2 14 oz. cans cherry tomatoes
- 1 lb orecchiette
- 5 oz. baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup powdered parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon until browned - about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the scallion whites, pressed garlic and rosemary and cook for a couple of minutes, until the scallions begin to wilt.
- Add the two cans of tomatoes with their juices , 1 cup of the boiling water and sugar, salt and pepper. Let the sauce simmer while you cook the pasta.
- Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook as the label instructs for al dente. Reserve 1 cup of cooking water, then strain the pasta.
- Add the cooked pasta to the tomato sauce along with the fresh chopped spinach and half of the scallion greens. Toss to coat the pasta and wilt the spinach, about 1 minute, gradually adding the reserved pasta water as needed to loosen. Remove from the heat.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the pasta and toss well. Serve the pasta with the remaining scallion greens sprinkled on top.