Description
This hearty Chicken Sausage Pasta is a flavorful and comforting dish featuring tender chicken sausage, roasted red peppers, and spinach in a tomato-based sauce, served over perfectly cooked penne or rigatoni pasta. A quick and easy meal that’s perfect for weeknight dinners.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sauce
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 400g chicken sausage, sliced
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed or finely grated
- 200g roasted red peppers, chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin (optional)
- ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 100g spinach
For the Pasta
- 500g penne or rigatoni pasta
Instructions
- Heat the Oil and Cook Onion: Heat the sunflower oil in a large lidded frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes until it begins to soften.
- Add and Brown Sausages: Add the sliced chicken sausages to the pan. Fry them for 4-5 minutes until they start to brown.
- Add Aromatics and Spices: Stir in the crushed garlic, chopped roasted red peppers, ground cumin, and chilli flakes if using. Season well with salt and mix to combine. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add Tomatoes and Simmer: Pour in the canned chopped tomatoes and half a can of water. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the liquid has reduced slightly and the sausages are cooked through.
- Add Spinach and Wilt: Add the spinach to the sauce, stir well, cover, and cook for a further 3-5 minutes until the spinach has wilted and is fully incorporated.
- Cook the Pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the cooking water.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the drained pasta to the sauce, gently stirring to combine. Cook together for 2-3 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, stir in some of the reserved pasta water to loosen it.
- Serve: Serve the chicken sausage pasta hot, optionally garnished with grated cheese or fresh herbs.
Notes
- For extra heat, increase the amount of chilli flakes.
- Use whole grain pasta for added fiber and nutrition.
- If you prefer, substitute chicken sausage with other sausage varieties.
- Reserve pasta water helps loosen the sauce without diluting flavor.
- This dish can be prepared in under 40 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Keywords: chicken sausage pasta, easy pasta recipe, quick dinner, stovetop pasta dish, tomato sauce pasta, sausage pasta with spinach
