November Dinner #2: Easy Sausage Pasta

This is a dinner that I created one time when I didn't have anything planned and was punting with stock items from my pantry.  Usually that doesn't result in anything more than a mediocre meal, but this particular dinner was good enough that it made it onto our regular rotation.  I'm unduly proud of it, because I thought of it my own self!  And now I'm going to share it with you!

First, I put a pound of bulk sausage in a deep skillet.

I take the wrapper off first, of course.  I am not THAT ditzy!  Then I brown it on medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spatula as I go.  I like chunks about the size of a small marble, although I usually get overzealous and end up with some tiny crumbly pieces before I remember that I like the pieces bigger.

All browned:

While the sausage is browning I chop up a small onion and mince two cloves of garlic (or crush them with the garlic press if I'm feeling lazy).

When the sausage is nicely browned, I drain it if there is excess fat, then add the garlic and onion to the pan.

Garlicky!  Oniony!  Mmmm.

Mix it all together, then cook until the onion is softened.

Next, I open up a can of diced tomatoes and a can of chicken broth.  I usually use store-brand tomatoes, but I do think name-brand chicken broth is pretty important.  It just tastes better.

No, you're not losing your eyesight.  The picture is ridiculously blurry.  Next up after I've learned to cook is a photography class, I promise.

I add the tomatoes and the broth to the sausage-garlic-onion mixture:

(Please don't tell anyone how dirty my stove is.)

Once those are mixed in, I add the spices.  Pretty, pretty spices:

These spices are from Penzeys.  If you're not familiar with Penzeys, you need to be.  Their spices will rock your world.

I throw in some spices:

I generally just estimate, but this time I estimated carefully so I could give amounts here.  They're in the recipe, which is at the bottom of the page after the jump.

I usually use basil, oregano, bay leaf, and crushed red pepper with Italian sausage, but every once in a while I'll use Cajun seasoning with hot sausage, or some other random combination that strikes my fancy. 

This'n here is the original recipe, though.  A-yup.  Right out o' my noggin.

I stir it all together, bring it to a boil, and lower the heat so it's at a nice quick simmer.  We want this baby reducing but good, since it's the reduction of the liquids that concentrates the flavor and makes all the difference in the taste:

Also, if it doesn't reduce, then you end up with pasta soup rather than pasta and sauce, and nobody wants that.

(Except if you're making soup with pasta in it, of course, but that's a meal for another day.)

This is when I put my pot of water on the stove to bring to a boil:

I also clean and chop a pile of fresh spinach:

That's about half a 10-ounce bag, but I generally vary it based on how much I have available and how much I'm in the mood to eat.  Today I was in a pretty spinach-y mood.

When the sauce has reduced to about a third of its original volume:

I put the pasta in the boiling water:

I've never written this recipe down (until now, ha!) and I tend to forget how much pasta I usually use in it.  This is half a pound.  It is not enough, as you will see.  Three-quarters of a pound is about right, I think.

Here's a picture of Bryan's family heirloom pasta stirrer:

Okay, not really.  It's a cheap plastic thing we picked up at Target or wherever.  But see how it's missing a prong there on the end?  That happened one time when my sister was using it and she dropped it on the floor.  Bryan happened to be in the kitchen at the time, and he made a big deal of forgiving my sister for breaking the prong, even though (he claimed) the spoon was a family heirloom that had belonged to his great-grandmother.  I'm not sure how much she believed him, and she figured out the joke when he started laugh a minute later.  But it still cracks me up every time I think about it.

A few minutes before the pasta is done cooking, I add the spinach to the sauce and cover it to wilt it:

Then I remove the lid and stir the spinach in, and try not to get too much steam on my camera lens:

I accidentally over-reduced the sauce this time, so I add a little of the water from the boiling pasta to thin it out again.  No biggie.

I drain the pasta:

For some reason I find this picture aesthetically pleasing.  I couldn't tell you why.

Then I add the pasta to the sauce:

And stir it to coat the noodles:

(See how the ratio of pasta to sauce is a little low?)

I scoop some onto a plate, grate some Parmesan cheese on top, then serve:

And I must say, it was one of my better batches.  Yu-um.

(Recipe below the break.)

Arwen's Easy Sausage Pasta

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1-14oz can chicken broth
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
2-3 cups fresh spinach, chopped
3/4 lbs. pasta

Brown the sausage in a deep skillet over medium-high heat, 7-10 minutes.  Add the garlic and onion and cook until onion is softened, 3-5 minutes.  Add  the tomatoes with their juice, the chicken broth, and the spices.  Stir together, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the liquid at a strong simmer over medium-low heat, 15-25 minutes.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  When the sauce is reduced to about one-third the original volume, reduce heat to low and begin cooking the pasta in the pot of boiling water.  A few minutes before the pasta is al dente, add the spinach to the sauce and cover until the spinach wilts, then remove lid and stir to combine.  Drain pasta and add it to the sauce, then stir to coat.  Serve with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

Notes: Because it reduces, this recipe comes out pretty salty if you use regular chicken broth.  If you're not a salt fiend like I am, use low-sodium broth.  Also, if you don't have fresh spinach, you can substitute frozen spinach, thawed and drained.

Comments

[Lindsay]

That looks really delicious. You are taunting me with real food and your ability to make it!

[Sarah]

Yummy recipe.
My love for all things pasta
Is inordinate.

[Ellen]

Yum! I'm officially hungry now. I'm extra-impressed given that you created the recipe all by yourself. If I ever make I will be sure to give credit where it is due. :)

[Maggie]

Awwww, Bill Watson!

[Salome Ellen]

I see my grandmother's genes coming out!

[Kim]

Um - YUM! I can't wait to try this! I usually just use canned pasta sauce, add meat and fresh mushrooms, and go from there. This sounds like a great variation!

[Diane]

Oh this looks tasty. And I have been on a spinach kick lately, adding it to everything I think I can get away with. This is pretty much how I cook any pasta I make, looking for whatever is on hand in the fridge that needs to get used up. It usually turns out pretty great, but never the same twice (which is the fun part!) I've never tried sausage though, so thanks for the idea!

[Keri]

This looks yummy! Thanks for another recipe.

[Celeste]

Looks yum! I never would have thought to mix the sausage with spinach, but tomato plus spinach is awesome so why not!

I have this rice dish I do and after I brown the rice a little, I add the tomato chunks before the chicken stock so they can get a little brownage of their own. I picked this up from a tip in Cooks Illustrated on making chicken broth from scratch. They say to brown the skin-on chicken before adding the liquid, and it makes all the difference in building the layers of flavor.

I think the photo of drained noodles was so appealing because there weren't any loose ends hanging out. I read an article on food photography and it turns out that ends tucked in is the law for pictures of spaghetti. What a job that must be, tucking in those ends. ;o)

[CJ]

I read this before I went to bed, and then dreamed about it. I think that means I should try the recipe.

[Kate]

Yummy! I use a lot of sausage and pasta in my ack-what's-in-the-pantry dinner is in a half hour cooking, so this looks familiar and delicious!

[Margaret]

looks great!

[Caroline]

Yum! That looks quite tasty!

[Lisa]

Can't wait to get home and try some of these recipes!

[Jen]

I'm with you on the brand name chicken broth. I also use Swansons. I've never found another brand that is any good at all.

If you like things that are salty, you should try dropping in a bullion cube when you are cookings things like vegetables and pasta. It adds a really nice flavor.

[cjmr]

Yum! I wonder if my husband and the kids would notice the spinach...

[parodie]

Sausage and pasta is definitely a winning combination. Yum yum yum. I need to try this!

[Shelby]

Wow, that looks awesome! I'm going to come out of this NaBloPoMo thing with lots of recipes to try!

[sarah]

I made this for dinner tonight with a couple of changes. I used chicken cooked in olive oil instead of sausage and no spinach. I would do the spinach next time probably, but I didn't have any. My (almost) 2 year old says num num, and my husband said he would eat more, but he was full. I enjoyed it also, and I was able to eat it! (I am in my first trimester of pregnancy #2)

[Manda]

Holy wow I am loving your recipes lately!! I'm gonna try this one sometime for my sausage-loving hubby. Thanks for sharing!

[Christiana]

Thanks for the receipe - something new to add to my basic 5 things!

[Kate P]

This looks so good that nobody I make it for would notice it's milk free (needs to be for my allergies). Can't wait to try it.

[Hoo]

Mmm looks yummy! We are on a pasta kick lately!

[Stephanie]

I just made this for dinner, and I must say, it is totally delicious. Thanks!!