Italian Sausage, Bell Pepper & Spinach Pasta

Recipe by The Gourmet RD

You can never have too many back pocket recipes that come together in mere minutes and satisfy all your dinner cravings, am I right?

Ingredients

• 12 oz whole grain farfalle or bowtie pasta
• 1 lb ground sweet or spicy Italian sausage
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper (thinly sliced)
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley (chopped)
• ¾ tsp course salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (more for serving)
• ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain.
   
   In a large skillet, cook Italian sausage until lightly browned, breaking it up into pieces with a wooden spoon.
   
   Add olive oil, bell pepper and spinach and cook 3-4 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning. Add pasta water and pasta to the skillet and season with salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring to combine.
   
   Simmer until liquid has absorbed, stirring constantly. Serve in bowls with more freshly ground black pepper, Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

View the recipe instructions at The Gourmet RD