Italian Sausage Pasta - 30-Minute Meal

Fill a pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook it according to the instructions on the package. While the pasta is cooking, continue with the rest of the recipe.

Place a large, high - sided skillet on the stove and set the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and let it warm up for a moment.

Add the sliced mushrooms to the heated olive oil in the skillet. Cook them for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and cooked through but not overly soft. Once done, use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms from the skillet and set them aside.

With the skillet still on medium heat, add the crumbled sausage to the now - empty skillet. Cook the sausage for about 5 minutes, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks, until it is no longer pink and is fully cooked. Once cooked, use a spoon or a ladle to drain off any excess fat from the skillet.

To the skillet with the cooked sausage, add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, tomato pasta sauce, and fresh spinach. Increase the heat to medium - high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, stir everything well to combine. Then, reduce the heat back to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted to your desired tenderness.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to the sauce in the skillet. Turn the heat to low and let the pasta reheat in the sauce for a few minutes.

Use a large spoon or tongs to mix the pasta, sauce, and sausage together well, ensuring that the pasta is evenly coated with the sauce. After mixing, turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the burner.

Season the pasta mixture with salt, freshly ground coarse black pepper, and additional red pepper flakes if you like. Sprinkle the cooked sliced mushrooms on top of the pasta.

Tip: use your best judgment about the salt. If the sausage is salty enough, you might not need to add any extra salt.