Name: Orecchiette with Sausages and Spinach
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 28 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil - divided; 4 links of Italian sausage, removed from casings, crumbled; 6 garlic cloves- sliced; 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes; 1/4 cup white wine; 8 to 10 cherry tomatoes- sliced; 3 cups packed baby spinach; salt and pepper to taste; 1/2 pound of Orecchiette pasta; 2 Tbsp. grated pecorino cheese, and extra for serving

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Orecchiette with Sausages and Spinach is tossed in a skillet with crumbled sausages, fresh cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic and spinach. A delicious dish that comes together in less than 30 minutes, containing carbs, protein, and veggies is a win-win!

Orecchiette with Sausages and Spinach served on a white dinner plate with a fork.

Orecchiette with Sausage and Spinach…

Orecchiette pasta in Italian means “little ears” and it is most popular pasta when it is tossed with a few ingredients.

We all love simplicity, so making dinner as quick and easy as possible is always one of our goals these days. And this recipe happens to be one of them.

Orecchiette with sausages and spinach is a common dish in our family simply because they prefer it with spinach, rather than a bitter green, like broccoli rabe. Besides, I love it too, because the spinach does not need to be steamed or cooked beforehand, like broccoli rabe does. One less step!

Plus, spinach as a healthy green is sweeter tasting and adds a softer texture to this pasta dish. Topped with grated pecorino cheese to give this dish a lovely richness and more flavor! It’s is DIVINE!

Our mom always made Penne with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe, and it too is delicious. But my kids prefer the spinach over rabe.

Ingredients for Orecchiette with Sausages and Spinach: (*full recipe card below)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Links of Italian sausage, removed from casings, and crumbled
Garlic Cloves
Red Pepper Flakes
White Wine
Cherry Tomatoes
Fresh Baby Spinach
salt and pepper to taste
Orecchiette pasta
Pecorino Romano cheese, and extra at the table for serving

A blue plate with raw sausage links on it. by 2sistersrecipes.com

How to Make it?

There are a few simple steps to making this pasta dish using sausage links. But you can make using one package or 1 pound of already crumbled sausages, if you can find them. (*full printable recipe card below!)

1. First, start by sautéing some garlic with olive oil in a skillet, on the stove-top.

2. Next, remove the casings from the links, about 4 links, (save the others for another recipe) and add the crumbled sausage to the skillet. Cook it until it’s fully cooked, about 5 to 7 minutes. Then stir in red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.

Crumbled sausages in a large skillet on stovetop.

3. Add the wine. If you have been following us here at 2SR then you’ll know we always cook with wine, and of course, that goes in too!

4. Toss in cherry tomatoes and fresh spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts and the tomatoes softened.

Fresh baby spinach is added to the skillet with crumbled sausages.

5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water and cook the pasta. Cook the orecchiette until they are al-dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of salty water. Drain the pasta.

6. Next, transfer the orecchiette pasta to the skillet with sausage mixture. Slowly add in the reserved pasta water.

A large skillet with little ears pasta, spinach and crumbled sausages.

7. Stir in 2 tablespoons of grated pecorino cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving plates and serve. Serve with extra grated pecorino cheese at the table. Serves 4

We took our mom’s recipe and simplified it with spinach, which goes in fresh, not sautéed beforehand. One step less, making this dish so much quicker!

A plate filled cooked orecchiette pasta with sausages and spinach and cherry tomatoes.

Orecchiette with sausages and spinach incorporates all fresh ingredients in a flavorful, mouth-watering dish that is healthy to eat and easy to prepare, and colorful too!

I love making simple meals like this one! Italian cooking is very easy and use only a few ingredients. You’ll have to try this recipe! 🙂

Cheers, and enjoy!

More Delicious Meals… try these:

Your comments help us! If you make our orecchiette with sausages and spinach recipe, be sure to leave a 5-star rating in our recipe card, and leave a comment. Your insights and experience not only help our readers, but it helps us too!

Orecchiette with Sausages and Spinach

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 18 minutes

Total Time: 28 minutes

Orecchiette pasta (in Italian, it means "little ears") is tossed in a skillet with crumbled sausages, fresh cherry tomatoes, white wine, garlic, and fresh spinach. Topped with grated pecorino cheese to give this dish a burst more flavor!

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil - divided
4 links of Italian sausage, removed from casings, crumbled
6 garlic cloves- sliced
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 cup white wine
8 to 10 cherry tomatoes- sliced
3 cups packed baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound of Orecchiette pasta
2 Tbsp. grated pecorino cheese, and extra for serving

Instructions

In a large, deep skillet, on medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and crumbled sausage.
Cook until sausage is brown and fully cooked, about 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in the pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute with the sausage.
Pour in white wine and cherry tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the cherry tomatoes have softened.
Stir in the 2nd tablespoon of olive oil, then add in the spinach. Stir until the spinach wilts. Turn off the heat and set it aside.
Meantime, bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to the water and add in the Orecchiette pasta. Cook the orecchiette until they are al-dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of salty water. Drain the pasta.
Transfer orecchiette pasta to the skillet with sausage mixture. Slowly add in the reserved pasta water. Turn the heat back onto a low heat, and sauté while stirring everything until well combined, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of grated pecorino cheese. Taste and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to serving plates and serve.
Serves 4

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 servings Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 329Total Fat: 13.3gSaturated Fat: 2.9gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 241mgCarbohydrates: 38.5gFiber: 1.9gSugar: .6gProtein: 12.8g

Happy Cooking! 🙂

thanks for stopping by….

xo anna and liz

Welcome! From Anna and Liz

We believe the kitchen is the center and the heart of the home. It is where we cook, eat, and unwind with family and friends, creating memorable traditions! Read more…

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