Italian Sausage Penne Alfredo with Spinach and Mushrooms

It's been awhile since I have made this dish, but it is a favorite of my husband's.  You can substitute any vegetables you want.  I've made it with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and bell peppers.  Turkey sausage is also great! 

This makes A LOT of food.  Feel free to cut the recipe in half.  For a half recipe, I  still use the whole pound of sausage, but cut the pasta and sauce in half. 

Start by preheating the oven to 375 and starting a pot of water to boil the penne.

Prep the vegetables next.  All I had to do was dice half an onion and open the bag of spinach and container of mushrooms.  Easy peasy.

In a skillet, brown the sausages on all sides over medium heat in a touch of olive oil.  When brown, put the lid on and turn the heat to low.  Cook for 12 minutes, turning once.  They will be nicely browned and cooked through.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the mushrooms and onions to the same skillet.  Cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is just soft.  Remove from pan and pour into a bowl big enough to mix everything up.

The water should be boiling now for the pasta.  Add a couple pinches of salt and pour in the pasta.  Cook 9 minutes, or until al dente.

Next slice the Italian sausages and add to the bowl of mushrooms and onions.  Add half a bag of spinach on top. 

When the pasta is done, drain and add it to the bowl.  This is where I realized my bowl was not going to be big enough.  Oops!

Voila!  Chicken roaster to the rescue.  A 9x13 is a little too small for everything. 

Now add in the two jars of Alfredo sauce.  I really like the Bertolli kind, but use whatever you like best.  Or get fancy and make your own alfredo sauce!  Fill one of the jars to the top with beef stock and shake it up.  Add this to the pan as well as the garlic powder and basil.  Mix everything together.

Then top it with cheese...

And bake!  Pop it in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.  I like to turn it on broil for the last minute or so to brown it a bit. 

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Italian Sausage Penne Alfredo with Spinach and Mushrooms

• 1 lb Italian Sausage links (I like the sweet kind)
• 1 lb box whole wheat penne (regular will work fine as well)
• 2 15 oz jars Bertolli Alfredo Sauce
• 15 oz beef stock (enough to fill one of the empty Alfredo sauce jars)
• 4 oz fresh spinach
• 4 oz sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• olive oil for browning sausage
• S&P to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium skillet, brown sausages on each side over medium heat.  Reduce heat to low and cover.  Allow them to finish cooking for 12 minutes, turning once.  Remove from heat and slice. 

In the same skillet, add diced onions and mushrooms.  Cook 4-5 minutes or until just soft.  Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large pot, boil penne until al dente, about 9 minutes.  Drain

In a large casserole dish, combine the sliced sausage, sautéed vegetables, pasta, alfredo sauce, beef stock, spinach, basil and garlic powder.  Top with cheese and bake 375 for 25 minutes, or until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Enjoy!!!