Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach

orecchiette pasta with sausage and spinach close-up in a bowl

4.98 from 39 votes

Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach

This simple orecchiette with sausage and spinach recipe has a tasty Italian sausage, spinach, garlic, and white wine sauce. It's on your table in about 30 minutes!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: orecchiette pasta sauce, orecchiette with sausage, sauce for orecchiette

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta
16 ounces Italian sausage see note
1/2 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons fresh basil optional
Salt & pepper to taste
For serving: freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to taste

Instructions

Boil a large salted pot of water and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
Meanwhile, add the sausage meat and onion to a skillet, and sauté over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until it's cooked through and nicely browned. If there's more than about 1-2 tablespoons of fat left in the skillet, spoon out the excess, but be sure to leave some since we're not adding any extra butter or oil.
Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the garlic and Dijon mustard, and cook for about 30 seconds.
Pour in the wine and cook until reduced by half (about 1-2 minutes).
Add in the spinach and basil (if using). Toss, using tongs or two large spoons, until the spinach has wilted, then add in the drained pasta and toss again.
Season with salt & pepper as needed. Serve immediately with freshly grated parmesan cheese over top if desired.

Notes

Use either ground sausage meat or buy sausages and take the meat out of the casings. There is quite a lot of sausage in the sauce, so you could definitely get away with using a bit less than the full pound.

Nutrition