Skillet Penne & Sausage Supper

As I shared waaay back at my very first post, here, my favorite cookbook is The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

In that very first post I vaguely mentioned the sausage, spinach & pasta recipe that we love.  It just so happens I made named dish over the weekend and thought ahead enough to take pictures along the way to show you just how fast and easy it is to make! I included some of my own personal tips along the way.

 Skillet Penne & Sausage Supper from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, minced (I only used less than half an onion cuz I am not a fan of onions but, I do understand their place in the food chain)
   Salt 
1 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage (you can use Italian turkey sausage if you'd like)
3 garlic gloves, minced (I use the minced garlic in the jar)
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
8 ounces penne pasta (about 2 1/2 cups)
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 5-ounce bag baby spinach (I used about 3.5 ounces fresh from my garden! More would have been better but that's all I had at the time)
1 ounce Parmesan cheese grated (about a half cup) 
Pepper

Fresh, organic, grown with love spinach.

1. Heat the oil in a large non stick skillet over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Sprinkle the tomatoes and penne over the sausage. 

Pour the broth and milk over the pasta. stir lightly to mix. 

Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes.  Now I don't know if it's because I am at a higher altitude or what but it takes my pasta about 20 minutes before it is tender. YMMV is all I am saying.
Most of the liquid should have been absorbed by the pasta.

4. Stir in the spinach a handful at a time cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. I just lay the spinach on top and put the cover back on for the 2 minutes.  It wilts the spinach and makes it easier to stir into the pasta mixture.

Stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.

I serve up in my pretty pasta bowls that I got on sale at Cost Plus World Market topped with some more Parmesan cheese.

As my buddy Jen would say "Get In My Belly Now!"

Serve along with a garden salad and some crusty bread and nom away!  

Don't forget to come by on Tuesday's
for the link party.