If you are looking for a delicious dinner that doesn’t require a lot of time in the kitchen, look no further. You can whip up a dinner of penne with spinach and chicken sausage in minutes and be enjoying a healthy dinner in no time.
I have been organizing my house, which has kept me busy. So I haven’t had a lot of time to prep dinner. This recipe is a go to for our family when I don’t have a lot of time. It is easy to make and full of flavor. And it is quick to throw together, the best part! And another great thing about this meal is that you only use two pans. My husband loves that too because he is the one that does the dishes at our house. All you need is a pot to boil your pasta and a pan to cook the sausage. So clean up is a cinch as well. In and out of the kitchen in no time.
How to Make Penne with Spinach and Chicken Sausage
Start by boiling your water to cook the penne. Then you can cook the chicken sausage. You can use ground chicken sausage if you have it available. I can always easily find these chicken sausage links, so I just remove the meat from the casing.
The recipe also uses fresh tomatoes and spinach. Lots of great, healthy flavors.
After the chicken sausage is fully cooked, remove it from the pan and use the same pan to sautee some garlic. Then add the spinach and bullion and cook it just long enough that it begins to wilt. Don’t over cook it because it will cook a bit more once everything is put in together.
When the spinach is ready, add in the cooked pasta, sausage, and tomatoes. Then top with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese, some toasted almonds, and serve. and you are ready to go.
A quick and easy meal but one that is also pretty and delicious! If you are not a meat or sausage eater the dish would be great without the meat – I just might add in a little crushed red pepper or other seasonings to give it a bit more kick. The sausage does add a lot of flavor.
Check out more of my favorite easy pasta recipes:
Penne Skillet Recipe
Penne with Spinach and Chicken Sausage
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. uncooked penne pasta
- 1 lb. chicken sausage links casings removed
- 2 garlic clove minced
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 4 C fresh spinach loosely packed and torn
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
- 2 Roma tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1/4 C almonds sliced and toasted
- Parmesan cheese shredded
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain
- Remove sausage from casing and cook in skillet
- Cook over medium heat until no longer pink; drain and set aside
- In same skillet, saute garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes
- Add the spinach and bouillon
- Allow spinach to wilt slightly and then add in chopped tomatoes
- Add sausage back into skillet and toss to combine
- Add pasta with sauce
- Top with the sliced almonds and shredded Parmesan over the entire dish
Good news, the Market Pantry – Target brand garlic chicken sausage comes without the casing!
Thanks for the tip!
Hi
(1) I’m not finding where I can “become a fan ” on Facebook. I know I should know how to do this! What am I missing? I clicked “like”. but I can’t see where to follow you. I really really should know this, but evidently its above my skill level 🙂
(2) this recipe looks great. I had a suggestion for the sausage- New Seasons sells this great tasting Chicken Basil sausage in bulk at the meat counter. Its quite lean and you wouldn’t need to deal with the casings. It would be a great addition to the dish.
Leigh Anne~
I made this dish tonight. I used mild Italian sausage since I had to use some up. It tasted great! Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Thanks for the easy meal.
I’ve enjoyed reading your blog so much I listed it as one of my Most Inspirational Blogs of 2010.
Looks fantastic! I love that it doesn’t have a heavy sauce like so many pasta dishes do.
Now if only I can channel your motivation to clean the house!