I had a dear friend in college who had a big Italian family close by. She’d invite me over on Sundays and we’d help her mom in the kitchen all day long, testing everything as we went. I always loved the idea of lazy Sundays in the kitchen.
It’s a cold, icy afternoon in Texas today and I wanted something warm and comforting for a late lunch. I hope you enjoy this easy, filling meal as much as I did!
Creamy Chicken Sausage Pasta
3 strips thick-cut bacon
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 bunch scallions/ green onions, chopped
5 chicken Gouda sausage links
4 cups fresh spinach
1 box good pasta
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan
Fill a large pot with water and set on high heat on the stove. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, snip the bacon into lardons and cook in a drizzle of oil until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. Carefully discard excess bacon fat. Return pan to burner and reduce heat to medium-low.
Add a tablespoon or two of butter and add chopped onions and scallions. Let cook for a minute or so while you slice the sausage links into 1/2″ rounds. Add the sausage to the pan.
About this time your pot will star to boil. Salt the water and add pasta. (I used a multicolor pasta that took about 9 minutes to cook.)
You’ll notice sticky bits on the bottom of your sausage pan. You want to return this flavor gold back to the dish. Scoop up about 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water and add to the sausage pan. This will clean the bottom of your pan, add those flavor bits back to the dish, and the starch will help your dish come together later.
Once your sausage has browned and your water has cooked off, reduce heat to low and add chopped spinach. Grind good sea salt (I used herbed sea salt from Maine) over spinach. A drizzle of olive oil wouldn’t hurt one bit either.
By now your pasta should be done. Test for doneness, then drain pasta in colander. Return pasta pot to stove and reduce heat to low. Add sour cream, a drizzle of olive oil, some chopped herbs of your choice (I used chives and parsley), and bacon. Once sour cream starts to melt, add pasta back to pot and stir until sour cream has turned into a creamy bacon sauce. Add all contents from your chicken sausage pan to the pasta pot and star until thoroughly coated. Add Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
