Sausage and Spinach Pasta Bake
This sausage spinach pasta bake is the ultimate nourishing comfort food. It's made with lean turkey sausage, lots of spinach and whole grain pasta. Meal prep it for the week ahead or make this as an easy weeknight dinner!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups fusilli uncooked
- 1 pound turkey sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic pressed
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 3 cups tomato sauce
- 1 cup pasta water
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 300g package of frozen spinach defrosted and drained *
- 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded
- fresh basil for topping
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package instructions (remember to save 1 cup of pasta water after draining) and preheat oven to 350°F.
- Slice sausages lengthwise, and remove the sausage meat from the casing. In a large pan over medium-high heat add olive oil. Once oil is hot add garlic cook until fragrant. Add spices and sausage meat and cook until meat is no longer pink in colour, stirring frequently.
- Once your meat is cooked, add sauce, pasta water and balsamic vinegar. Stir. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and pasta and stir.
- In a casserole dish layer half of the pasta with half of the cheese and repeat. Cover dish with tinfoil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the tinfoil and bake for another 10 minutes. For a golden brown cheesy topper, broil at 500°F for 5 minutes prior to serving. Garnish with basil and serve.
Notes
*You can substiute frozen spinach for 4-5 cups fresh, chopped spinach or kale leaves
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