Tuscan Sausage Pasta

 Another good recipe I found one morning in the mail. (I get lots of recipes everyday, most get deleted, some I try). This was pretty easy to make, just get everything ready before you start. 

Tuscan Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

• 8 oz. uncooked pasta (I used orecchiette, but a flat pasta like fettuccine would work too)
• 11 oz. Italian sausage ( I used 3 sausages from a 5 pack of mild sausages)
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. flour
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy/whipping cream 
• 1 1/2 cups (loosely packed) fresh baby spinach
• Small handful fresh basil torn/chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Direction:

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook al dente according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile take the sausages out of their casings and crumble the meat into a skillet.  Saute over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's nicely browned on the outside.
3. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.  If there is a lot of fat, discard most of it.
4. Add the garlic, chicken broth, Dijon mustard, flour, and lemon juice to the pan.  Stir until well combined (be sure to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan) and let it bubble for a minute or two.
5. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cream to the pan.  Let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Add the sausage back into the pan.  Cook for another few minutes until the sauce has thickened up a bit.
7. Stir in the spinach and basil. Let it cook for a minute or so until it wilts. Give the sauce a taste and season with salt and pepper if needed.
8. Drain the pasta and toss it with the sauce.  Serve immediately with some freshly grated parmesan if desired.