Spinach Pesto Pasta With Chicken Sausage

Ingredients:

Kosher salt

10 oz. rigatoni or spiral pasta

4 cups of baby spinach

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

2 tablespoons pine nuts, chopped almonds or walnuts

Finely grated lemon zest of 1 lemon, plus the juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

2 sweet Italian chicken sausage links

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Freshly ground pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook as the label directs.

Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain.

2. Meanwhile, pulse 2 cups spinach, 2 tbsp. water, 1 tbsp. each olive oil and nuts, the

lemon zest and juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the red pepper flakes in a food processor

until smooth. Scrape down the sides; add the parmesan and pulse until smooth.

Set the pesto aside.

3. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp. olive olive oil in a skillet and cook the saugage links

until browned. Slice them into medallions. Add garlic to the skillet and sautee

for a couple minutes. Add the sausage medallions.

4. Add the pasta, pesto and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water to the skillet. Toss to coat,

adding more cooking water as needed; season with salt and pepper. Stir in the

remaining 2 cups spinach. Top with pamesan and the remaining 1 tbsp. nuts;

drizzle with olive oil. Serve.

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