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Creamy Pasta with Italian Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Spinach

A decadent pasta dish that is restaurant quality, but takes less than 20 minutes to make!
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword Bowtie Pasta, Heavy Cream, Italian Sausage, Parmesan, Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 8

Equipment

  • 1 Large Deep Skillet
  • 1 Large Pot for boiling pasta

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Ground Italian Sausage
  • 1 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes in oil with Italian Herbs
  • 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 6-7 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 Cup Chicken Broth
  • 1 Cup Fresh Parmesan
  • 1/2 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
  • 10 oz Bag Fresh Spinach, roughly chopped
  • 16 oz Box Bowtie/Farfalle Pasta You can use any type of pasta you want, but this type really does work best for this recipe
  • 1-2 Cups Pasta Water
  • Salt and Pepper to taste if needed I never use it, but some people may want it a bit saltier

Instructions

  • Bring your pasta water to a boil. Be sure to add plenty of salt. Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. BE SURE TO RESERVE 1-2 CUPS OF THE WATER BEFORE DRAINING IT WHEN IT IS FINISHED COOKING! Also, do not rinse the pasta.
  • In a large skillet, brown the Italian Sausage, do not drain.
  • Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Stir in the garlic and let it cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  • Stir in the flour and let it cook down for about 3-4 minutes to cook out the flour taste.
  • Add the heavy cream and chicken broth and stir until thickened.
  • Add the parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, stirring until the cheese is all melted. The sauce will be very thick and gluey at this point.
  • Pour in 2 cups of the pasta water and stir until it is a nice smooth consistency.
  • Stir in the spinach and then the cooked and drained pasta. Remove from the heat and serve immediately!

Notes

This dish freezes well. After it is cooked, allow it to cool and store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. You will need to let it come to room temperature, add it to a pan with a little bit of milk and reheat slowly over a low to medium heat.
If you have leftovers, I have found that adding a bit of milk while reheating helps. 
You can substitute any type of Italian flavored ground meat for this. If you cannot find meat that is already flavored, add a couple tbs of Italian seasoning while browning it. 
I you would like to make this vegetarian, you can just start with the sun dried tomatoes, but add about 2 tbs of oil before adding the flour.