Spinach, Bean, and Smoked Sausage Pasta

The trick to keeping the pasta dish light but still creamy is to mash up the beans right in the pan, creating a smooth, flavorful sauce. This is my kind of comfort food! To make this even healthier, use whole wheat pasta.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 1  small onion, diced
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  lb smoked sausage, sliced (I use Hillshire Farms)
•  salt and pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1⁄3 cup white wine
• 1⁄2 cup  chicken stock
• 1  teaspoon  italian seasoning
• 2  cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 1 (15 1/2ounce) can cannellini beans
• 1⁄2  a  lemon, juice of
• 1⁄8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1  lb shell pasta
• 1  cup  reserved pasta water
•  grated parmesan cheese, to serve

Directions

1. In a pan on medium-high heat, cook the onion and garlic in olive oil until slightly browned. Add in the red pepper flakes and smoked sausage and cook until sausage is nicely browned.
2. In the meantime, cook pasta is salted boiling water until al dente, reserving some of the pasta water to thin out the sauce, if needed.
3. Pour the wine into the sauce and let it reduce, about 2 minutes. Then add the stock, Italian seasoning, and spinach. Cook another 1-2 minutes, or until spinach is slightly wilted.
4. Add in the beans and gently mash with a fork, leaving some lumps for texture.
5. To brighten the sauce when it's almost done, squeeze the lemon juice in and sprinkle in the nutmeg. If the sauce is too thick, add your reserved pasta water.
6. Toss pasta with the sauce, and top with grated parmesan cheese before serving.