Baked Penne with Sausage and Spinach
Author: 
Recipe type: Worknight Dinners, Weekend Cooking, Cooking for a Crowd
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 6 servings
 
Ingredients
  • Canola or olive oil, for cooking
  • 3 pieces sweet Italian turkey sausages
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 3-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (undrained)
  • 1 can tomato paste
  • ¼ cup pesto (fresh or jarred)
  • 1 pound (16 ounce box) penne pasta
  • 1 10 oz. bag baby spinach leaves
  • 1½ cups grated part-skim mozzarella
  • ½ - 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, heat a drizzle of oil over medium-high heat and cook the sausage, onion and garlic, breaking up the meat until the sausage is cooked through. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and simmer for ten minutes, until the sauce thickens. Stir in the pesto and some salt and pepper.
  2. Cook the pasta until al dente, drain it well and toss it with the spinach (coarsely tear the spinach up with your hands as you add it), mozzarella and about half the Parmesan cheese in a large bowl. Stir in the hot tomato sauce, which will slightly wilt the spinach.
  3. Divide among baking dishes or aluminum containers (it should be enough to fill one 9”x13” pan) and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan (at this point the dish can be cooled completely, covered and frozen for up to 4 months and baked from frozen).
  4. Bake at 350°F for about 30 minutes (40 minutes if frozen) until bubbly and golden.
Recipe by In Good Taste at https://ingoodtaste.kitchen/worknight-dinners-baked-penne-with-spinach-sausage/