We had a very full day today strawberry picking with friends. By the time we got home it was nearly dinner time, and I was exhausted (especially since the girls abandoned me after 5 minutes of picking strawberries). David had grilled some Italian sausage yesterday and put it in the fridge. I decided to make a simple pasta dish using those cooked italian sausage and some fresh spinach. It turned out awesome! I tried to be as concise as possible, but I do a lot of tossing-in when I cook so measurements are an estimate. The simplicity of this dish is so refreshing that it would be a great meal to prepare for guests. We ate it on the patio and even the girls had seconds. (oh, and don't mind the banana peel...that was left on the patio table and I didn't move it before the photo)
5 italian sausages, sliced in rounds (I used sweet basil sausage because of the kids, but spicy would be amazing)
1 lb Gemelli pasta (the texture of this pasta is perfect for this dish)
1 pkg fresh spinach
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
8 large leaves fresh basil, chiffonade (stack the leaves up, roll into a cigar and slice into strips)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 c white wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add enough salt to the water to be like sea water. Pour in pasta and cook until al dente and drain. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespooons olive oil in a heavy skillit on medium heat. Saute onions until they begin to caramelize. Add in chopped garlic. After a few minutes add in the sausage. Cook until heated through. Pour the bag of fresh spinach and white wine over top of the sausage and cover with a lid. Cook until the spinach has lightly wilted.
In a large bowl, pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with some pepper. Toss in the pasta and basil. Add the sausage and spinach while keeping the liquid in the pan. To the pan, add the dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar and whisk until blended. Pour this sauce over the pasta and sausage. Toss everything together and grate over the top some fresh pecorino romano. I suggest serving this with some chili flakes on the side; the spicy flavor is terrific with the smooth sauce, but most kids will find it too hot, so just bring to the table.
5 italian sausages, sliced in rounds (I used sweet basil sausage because of the kids, but spicy would be amazing)
1 lb Gemelli pasta (the texture of this pasta is perfect for this dish)
1 pkg fresh spinach
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic
8 large leaves fresh basil, chiffonade (stack the leaves up, roll into a cigar and slice into strips)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 c white wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Bring a pot of water to boil. Add enough salt to the water to be like sea water. Pour in pasta and cook until al dente and drain. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespooons olive oil in a heavy skillit on medium heat. Saute onions until they begin to caramelize. Add in chopped garlic. After a few minutes add in the sausage. Cook until heated through. Pour the bag of fresh spinach and white wine over top of the sausage and cover with a lid. Cook until the spinach has lightly wilted.
In a large bowl, pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with some pepper. Toss in the pasta and basil. Add the sausage and spinach while keeping the liquid in the pan. To the pan, add the dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar and whisk until blended. Pour this sauce over the pasta and sausage. Toss everything together and grate over the top some fresh pecorino romano. I suggest serving this with some chili flakes on the side; the spicy flavor is terrific with the smooth sauce, but most kids will find it too hot, so just bring to the table.
