Thursday, January 24, 2013

Spinach Sausage Alfredo Tortellini (Quick Take)

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/spinach-sausage-alfredo-tortellini.html
As much as I love fresh spinach in an apple spinach green smoothie, there are times when I need to share the spinach goodness with the rest of my family.  They think I'm weird for loving green smoothies.
This was a quick way to incorporate a bag of fresh spinach from the farm share into a hearty, filling meal on a busy night.

http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/spinach-sausage-alfredo-tortellini.html


http://www.farmfreshfeasts.com/2013/01/spinach-sausage-alfredo-tortellini.html

Spinach Sausage Alfredo Tortellini

1 pound Italian sausage (you'll only need half, so save the rest for . . . . pizza?)
5-6 mushrooms, finely chopped if your eaters don't care for mushrooms, otherwise chunked
1 package cheese tortellini
1 bag fresh spinach, sliced into thin strips
1 cup prepared Alfredo sauce

Start your pasta water heating, and preheat a large skillet over medium heat.  sauté the sausage until browned, then drain.  Set aside half of the cooked sausage for another use (if you put it in a zip top bag in the freezer, you can use it to make a sausage pizza.  Just a thought).  Meanwhile, cook the tortellini according to the package directions.
Add the mushrooms to the sausage, stir to coat with fat, and let cook 5 minutes.  Add spinach to the skillet, stir to combine, and cover, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 5 minutes.
Turn skillet to low.  Add Alfredo sauce to the skillet.  When the tortellini is cooked, save out 1 cup pasta water, the add the drained tortellini to the skillet.  Stir to combine.  If the sauce seems too thick, add some of your reserved pasta water.  Serve with shake shake on the side.

This post is linked with What's In The Box at In Her Chucks.

10 comments:

  1. I am a spinach in the smoothie kind of girl too and like you sometimes I sneak it into the cooking.
    I just have to be careful not to get caught!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ellie,
      Blueberries are my friend when adding dark leafy greens to a smoothie.

      That reminds me--I found a package of beet greens in the freezer. So I think the family will be enjoying some blueberry-banana smoothies soon!

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Delete
  2. I love this simple recipe. I can't do smoothies. I don't know why, but I suspect there is not enough chocolate in them. :)

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    Replies
    1. Marlene,
      I've had a chocolate smoothie, but I don't think it had spinach. I prefer my frozen chocolate drinks to include ice cream, and mint chip ice cream actually. I got stuck on the combo when I worked at Baskin Robbins in high school and really haven't matured from it.
      Thanks!

      Delete
  3. I love adding spinach to such a rich dish - always makes me feel better about eating all the sausage, pasta and cream!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Julie,
      Me, too! And feel like I'm doing something better for my kids than merely throwing a bunch of prepared stuff at them.
      Oh but it's so good . . .

      Thanks!

      Delete
  4. Man that spinach looks beautiful: all fresh and bountiful. I miss spinach from the CSA. Those packaged store containers don't do spinach justice, and no worries. My family thinks I'm weird too for drinking my greens. They have no idea how intoxicating it can be though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Meghan,
      It is pretty, isn't it. Part of the reason why I decided to start with that photo.

      Are you adding champagne to your greens now, not just your beets?

      Thanks!

      Delete
  5. Great idea! I often cheat my spinach out of opportunities such as this because I love it too much thrown in a pan with some garlic and onion. It's about time my spinach joined a pasta party.

    Thanks for sharing and linking up :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Heather,
      Simple is so good, though--your cooking style sounds so tasty to me!
      Thanks for hosting!

      Delete