1poundItalian-style turkey sausage, casings removed (I couldn’t find turkey sausage so I substituted mild pork sausage)
3mediumgarlic cloves, minced finely
3 ½cupswater
2 ½cupslow-sodium chicken broth
½cupoil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and chopped fine
½teaspoonsalt
12ouncesabout 3 1/2 cups penne pasta
1 (6-ounce)bagbaby spinach
¾cupgrated Parmesan cheese
¼cuptoasted pine nuts
Instructions
Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and add in the sausage. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the water, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add in the pasta.
Increase the heat to medium-high and cook at a strong simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has thickened, about 15-18 minutes (if you find the liquid is absorbing too quickly and the pasta is still undercooked, add a bit more water in small amounts until the pasta is cooked thoroughly).
Stir in the spinach, a handful at at time, and cook until wilted. Off the heat, stir in the cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.
Notes
Quantity: the original recipe only used 8 ounces of pasta. I knew that wouldn’t be enough for our family so I adapted the recipe to make a bit more. It makes for a very full skillet, but if you have a 12-inch skillet, it will still be big enough. This serves 6 easily. If you don’t want to make as much, scale down the amounts in the recipe (use 8 ounces pasta and 5 1/2 cups liquid total).