Orecchiette, Sausage and Spinach

It has been awhile since I posted.  I was pretty busy working and then visiting my mom before the Christmas Holidays that cooking and baking took a back seat.  During this time my hubby was making sure we were well nourished.  One night I came home late from a visit with mom to have this delicious dinner waiting for me. This is such a simple recipe that packed a ton of flavor.  Eric found this recipe from a Instagram account - Salt and Lavender.  Her recipes are quick and easy to make, especially on a week night. 

I love anything with sausage, especially Italian hot sausage.  This recipe picked up its flavor from the spices in the Italian Sausage.  Add a little side salad, glass a wine and it is a meal!

Ingredients

8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta

16 ounces Italian sausage see note- prefer hot sausage

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

freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, to taste

Directions

Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.

Meanwhile, crumble the sausage meat into a skillet (take it out of casings if using whole sausages). Add the onion to the skillet as well, 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 and stir in the garlic and Dijon mustard (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. 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.

Recipe is from Salt & Lavender - https://www.saltandlavender.com/orecchiette-with-sausage-and-spinach/