Sausage and Spinach Pasta
Fresh sausage, fennel seed and spinach make a tomato-light rigatoni sauce with plenty of browned edges.
Modern01Rough sausage has more browned surface.
02Tomato paste gives depth without a wet sauce.
03Spinach becomes part of the pan sauce.
Cook it calmly.
- 01
Make rough sausage pieces
Pinch sausage into small irregular pieces and brown them without constant stirring.
- 02
Toast the aromatics
Add fennel seed, garlic and tomato paste and cook until the paste darkens slightly.
- 03
Wilt the spinach
Add spinach in batches with a ladle of pasta water until just collapsed.
- 04
Finish the rigatoni
Toss in pasta and cheese off heat, then sharpen with lemon and black pepper.
Common mistakes
- Crowding the sausage.
- Leaving tomato paste raw.
- Cooking spinach until khaki.
The detail that changes the dish.
Leave sausage alone long enough to colour. Constant stirring produces neat grey crumbs, which is rarely the dream.
Rough sausage has more browned surface.
Fresh sausage, fennel seed and spinach make a tomato-light rigatoni sauce with plenty of browned edges.
Tomato paste gives depth without a wet sauce. Spinach becomes part of the pan sauce.
The ingredients that make Sausage and Spinach Pasta work
Leave sausage alone long enough to colour. Constant stirring produces neat grey crumbs, which is rarely the dream.
The pasta choice matters here. Rigatoni supports the sauce and the way the ingredients are cut.
At the table
Serve Sausage and Spinach Pasta while its texture is at its best. Taste once more at the table before adding cheese, salt or chilli.
Later, if needed
Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze the sauce without pasta for 2 months.
Be realistic
Refrigerate for 3 days or freeze the sauce without pasta for 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main mistake with Sausage and Spinach Pasta?+
Crowding the sausage.
Can I substitute the main ingredient?+
Fresh sausages differ in salt and spice. Taste the browned meat before seasoning the sauce.
