Easy Week Night Staple - Italian Sausage and Pasta

By some miracle, the universe decided to introduce me to the wonderful tastes of Italian Sausage dancing on my tongue last year.  From the very first bite I was hooked and couldn't stop sneaking a bite from the Thanksgiving stuffing we were making.  Ever since, my freezer has never been without this little slice of heaven.

Ok, I may be exaggerating a bit, but trust me, this stuff is so good.  It's already packed with flavorful spices, but when you mix it with your own, Italian Sausage just makes any dish packed with deliciousness rather easily.

When I am pressed for time or am just being lazy at night, this is my go to dish.  Some staples I always have in my fridge, that I get made fun of for including in everything I make, include frozen spinach, mushrooms and parmesan cheese.  Needless to say, if things sound like they will go together, I'm willing to try anything once.  Luckily for me, this incredibly easy dish turned out to be so delicious it became my go to weeknight staple.

 Weeknight Italian Sausage and Pasta 

Serving Size: 1

Ingredients:

1 link of Italian Sausage

Spinach (frozen or thawed)

Mushrooms (recommended - portabella)

3 Tblsp (approx) Olive oil

Garlic (salt or 1 clove, minced)

Basil

Oregano

Thyme

Pasta

Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Directions:

Boil water for pasta.  Cook pasta to taste.

Remove skin from sausage link and break up the meat.  Cook in a skillet on medium heat with spinach and mushrooms.

If using garlic clove, in a separate pan, heat olive oil on low and mix in minced garlic until garlic is soft and aromatic.

If using garlic salt, once meat is almost fully cooked, pour in olive oil to heat with other ingredients.  

Sprinkle the spices on the meat and veggie mixture to taste.

Strain pasta and combine with oil, sausage, veggies, etc.

Top with parmesan cheese and enjoy.

 REMEMBER:  Olive oil is a healthy fat, but it is still a fat.  With this dish, you don't need a lot of oil because the sausage creates the flavor that takes the place of a sauce.  The oil helps to coat the noodles and bring all the flavors together.  In this case, less is more.