Hot Sausage Pasta

I love the act of getting dressed up and going out to restaurants! Who doesn't? They do all the work while I simply stroll in and enjoy till my stomach's fill. I mean, that's the idea anyway. However, when the snow is up to my elbows, I'm feeling particularly reclusive, or I simply don't have the energy to put on pants, that's when I'm more than happy to stay at home and pump out a little restaurant glamour from my own kitchen.

One of my favorite meals is pasta, as it is for many. But not tomato-y pasta, I'm talking creamy, dreamy, cheesy pasta! And for half the price of a plate at your local Olive Garden, you can create a full pan of this luxury, spicy, salty, savory pasta, full of spinach too, so it's a "healthy" option for those cautious about the cheese ;)

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground hot Italian sausage
1 lb fettuccine pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups heavy cream
20 oz spinach
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded Romano cheese

Start by cooking your fettuccine in salted water until al dente. Set aside.

Then rinse your spinach. I use fresh spinach that comes in bunches. If you're using it, go ahead and snap off the stems so you only cook the leaves. Baby spinach works great too! Then dice up your garlic and onion.

Heat a skillet on medium with olive oil and dump in the onion, garlic, red pepper, salt, and ground sausage. 

Stir and cook until the meat is not longer pink. Drain any excess fat.

Turn the heat on low and top the meat with spinach, really as much or little as you fancy. I find this is an easy recipe to sneak some greens in, so I add a very generous amount.

Cover with the lid for about 2 minutes to let it wilt.

Stir.

Add the heavy cream and combine.

Then dust in your cheese. The more the merrier, of course! Stir until melted through.

Toss the cooked fettuccine until coated thoroughly...

...and serve!

A plate full of home-cooked goodness that you could surely pass off as restaurant catering to your dinner guests. Secretly, though, you cooked it while in your slippers and with minimal effort, but who needs to know the details?

It's absolutely a dream with chilled white moscato and is sure to satisfy all your carby, cheesy cravings!

Let me know what you think, and send help... I ate the whole pan!