Name: Spinach, Bell Pepper, and Sausage Pasta
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: US & Canada
Ingredients: 1 pound rotini pasta; Salt and pepper; 1 pound hot italian sausage, casings removed; 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 5 ounces (5 cups) baby spinach; 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup), plus extra for serving

Why This Recipe Works

Hot Italian sausage adds lots of flavor and deep seasoning to this simple pasta dish.

Before You Begin

Any short pasta can be substituted for the rotini.

Instructions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in Dutch oven. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt to water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain pasta. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up pieces with spoon, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter.

Add sausage mixture, spinach, Parmesan, and ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water to pasta and toss to combine, adding additional reserved water as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing extra Parmesan separately.