Penne Pasta Recipe As Good As It Gets
Penne with chicken sausage, spinach, and mushrooms is the perfect recipe for a hearty yet nutritious meal that satisfies many tastes. This dish combines the comforting flavors of savory chicken sausage, tender mushrooms, and nutrient-packed spinach, all tossed with al dente penne pasta.
It’s an excellent choice for a weeknight dinner when you crave something filling but still relatively light. The combination of protein from the chicken sausage and fiber from the vegetables makes it satisfying and balanced. Plus, the preparation is straightforward, making it ideal for beginners and experienced cooks alike.
This recipe melds flavors beautifully, as the sausage browns and mushrooms soak up all the delicious aromas. The spinach adds a vibrant touch, while the penne provides the perfect canvas for all the ingredients to shine.
A touch of garlic and Parmesan brings everything together in a dish that’s sure to become a family favorite. Whether cooking for yourself or a crowd, this penne recipe is an easy yet impressive meal that delivers comfort and nourishment.
As Good As It Gets
An “as good as it gets” recipe refers to a dish that’s perfectly crafted, simple yet flavorful, and hits all the right notes. It’s a reliable, crowd-pleasing recipe and consistently delivers excellent results, even with minimal effort.
The ingredients complement each other flawlessly, and the technique ensures each component shines. There’s a sense of balance between taste, texture, and aroma, making the dish feel like it couldn’t be improved. In other words, it’s the kind of recipe you return to repeatedly because it’s just that good.
Button Mushrooms
Button mushrooms, also known as white mushrooms, are one of the most common and widely available mushroom varieties. They are small, round, and typically white or off-white in color.
These mushrooms have a mild flavor and a firm, smooth texture, making them versatile in many dishes. Their flavor deepens slightly as they cook, but they retain a delicate taste, allowing them to complement a wide range of ingredients without overpowering the dish. Button mushrooms are often used in salads, soups, stir-fries, pasta dishes, and sauces.
They are also the immature form of portobello mushrooms. As they mature, they become cremini mushrooms and eventually become full-grown portobellos.
Saute the onions, garlic and mushrooms.
Add the chicken stock, thyme
Let the spinach wilt and mushrooms cook down.
Serve onto warmed plates.
The finished dish.
Penne with Chicken Sausage Spinach and Mushrooms Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken sausages pork sausages work too
- ¾ pound penne pasta
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil more if needed
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 pound button mushrooms
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper more if you like it hot
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- 1½ teaspoons fresh thyme finely chopped
- 12 ounces fresh spinach leaves no stems please (the pre washed packages work well)
- 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat up the grill and cook the sausages. You can also cook them in a pan on top of the stove. After they are cooked and cool enough to handle, cut them up into ¼ inch slices and reserve.
- Heat up a large pot of water and bring it to a boil. Add a teaspoon of salt then add the pasta and let it cook until al dente. Be sure to reserve a cup of the pasta water before you drain the pasta in case you need it for the sauce.
- Heat up a large fry pan big enough to hold the sauce and the past over medium high heat. Add the oil and when it’s hot, add the onion. Sauté for a few minutes until it begins to soften, then add the garlic. Let this cook for a minute or two then add the mushrooms.
- Add the crushed red pepper and let the mushrooms cook until they loose all their liquids and start to brown. This should take about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken stock and fresh thyme and top with fresh spinach leaves. Toss and let this cook until the spinach wilts, just a couple of minutes. If you don’t think there will be enough sauce, add a little of the reserved pasta water. I like to add some because the water has starch in it from the pasta and helps the sauce stick to the pasta.
- Add the sausage slices and stir. Hopefully the pasta is ready at this time and should be added to the sauce and stirred to coat.
- Add the grated mozzarella cheese and stir into the pasta until it melts and both the cheese and sauce coat the pasta.
- Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately.
6 Responses
OMG…my mouth is watering!! How I love this type of dish!! Thanks for sharing.
I don’t see a way to post this to FB though…*-)
Great idea Joy. We used to have that and will look into getting it back but you can always copy the URL and paste it on your Facebook. That would be great. Thanks.
I just made this it was so delicious !
We are forced to be gluten free because of my son’s extreme food allergies and I am always on the hunt for simple recipes. Thanks for posting. Will substitute with rice or quinoa pasta and beef and see how it goes.
Try this with PastaZero shirataki noodles! They are gluten-free, carb-free, and WONDERFUL! We’ve had this a couple of times, and have tried adding chopped red and yellow pepper and a wee bit of wine. YUMMY! We also adjusted the mozzarella cheese down a bit for our own personal taste.
It was delicious! We added tomatoes!