"what kind of sausage is this?" pasta.

the sweet thing about trying to get rid of stuff in your fridge, is that sometimes opportunity comes to do so. this i made on tuesday to feed the boys at work and that was the running comment. they were surprised it was chicken. :) it was definitely something a little healthier and different and, most importantly, used up some ingredients i had that was just sitting in my fridge: spinach, a can of diced tomatoes from a random shopping trip, sliced onions from last night's dinner, and sausage i bought on a whim.

i was actually kicking myself over this dish. i had made an excellent tomato sauce from scratch-ish and silly me, i added a dollop of ricotta cheese to the mix. this picture's before said dollop. it ended up muting the perfectly nice sweet taste of the tomatoes i was trying to go for. i fixed it a little and the boyfriend liked it a lot, but i think it would've been perfect sans the ricotta. *sigh*

 

Chicken Sausage Penne
(makes about 8 to 9 servings)

1 package savory-flavored chicken sausage, sliced diagonally
1 small onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5oz.) can diced tomatoes with green pepper, celery, and onion
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 cups fresh spinach
salt and pepper, to taste
olive oil

1 lbs penne pasta
water

Start pasta by boiling a pot of salted water on high heat. Once it comes to a rolling boil, add some olive oil and drop pasta. Cook until al dente.

Meanwhile, in a separate pan, add olive oil and saute the sausage, onion, and garlic until the sausage has browned. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Drain pasta and fold into the sauce along with the spinach until combined. Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Note: for an optional cheesier note, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup ricota cheese before simmering and top with additional parmesan before serving.