Tomato Spinach Pasta

This Tomato Spinach Pasta has savory pasta tossed in a creamy tomato sauce with flavorful bites of sausage, fresh spinach, Parmesan, and diced tomatoes. You can't beat these flavors!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings:

Calories: 584kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Sauce

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon honey
½ teaspoon EACH: onion powder, mustard powder, basil, oregano, parsley

Pasta, etc.

2 teaspoons olive oil
½ lb. ground sausage hot, sweet, or mild. See notes.
½ cup dry white wine see notes
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes drained
3 tablespoons softened cream cheese optional but recommended
¾ cup Parmesan cheese grated
½ pound Mezzi Rigatoni see notes
3 cups packed baby spinach or up to 4 oz.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure remaining ingredients before beginning.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook and crumble until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Remove and set it aside.
Begin boiling a pot of salted water for the pasta while you proceed with the following steps.
Add the wine to the skillet used to cook the sausage and set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the skillet, this will add more flavor to the sauce. Simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring continuously, until the raw flour smell is gone.
Add the sauce mixture to the skillet in small splashes, stirring continuously. Do this slowly to maintain the thickness of the sauce. Add the drained tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the cream cheese and simmer uncovered while you boil the pasta to al dente. Drain once cooked.
Reduce heat to low and gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously. Add the spinach and let it wilt for 2-3 minutes. Add the cooked sausage.
Add the pasta and stir to combine. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:

Sausage: I use Jimmy Dean regular sausage in this recipe, it’s delicious. I find it near the bacon and breakfast sausage.
Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are my go-to dry white wines for this recipe. My next recommendation would be non-alcoholic white wine, which is widely available. While the wine does really elevate this, chicken broth can be used instead.
Tomato Paste: I use Mutti Tomato Paste tubes, they’re handy for measuring smaller/customized amounts.
Parmesan: Grate the Parmesan from a block to ensure it melts well into the sauce and tastes the best. I use Belgioioso Parmesan cheese.
Cream Cheese: I find that Philadelphia cream cheese from a tub (vs. a block), melts the best.
Pasta: Any kind of pasta works well in this dish, I used Mezzi Rigatoni which is shorter than regular rigatoni. Other great options include medium shells, rotini, and penne.
Flavor Enhancers: Honey rounds out the flavors by adding a little contrast to the acidity of the tomatoes. Worcestershire sauce adds umami. The Mustard Powder adds a hint of tang but can't be tasted outright.
Serve this Tomato Spinach Pasta with my Garlic Bread With Cheese!

Storage:

These leftovers reheat well. I use the ‘melt’ setting on my microwave or you can reheat over 50% power. A makeshift double boiler reheats creamy pastas really well too!

Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition