Creamy Mustard Pasta With Sausage & Spinach
Mustard is not an ingredient that plays a large role in Italian cuisine, so when I first heard about this recipe, I was intrigued. In northern Italy, many dishes are inspired by German or Austrian cuisine, where mustard is prevalent. We lived in Milan, Italy, for eight years and visited northern Italy often. We were surprised by how strong the German influence was on every visit. Usually, we hear more German spoken than Italian, so of course, the cuisine will also be influenced by its proximity to Germany.
Mustard is essential to German cuisine, so I imagine this pasta dish being served in the northern Italian regions. Indeed, it would be unique in central or southern Italy! It was so tasty, though, that I will make it again and again, wherever it originated. The mustard is enough to add flavor and zip to the cream sauce without overwhelming the dish. I added sausage and spinach to my version and found the sausage was perfect for the mustard-flavored sauce. You could use any short-dried pasta shape for this dish, although I usually prefer penne or rigatoni.
Deborah Mele
Creamy Mustard Pasta With Sausage & Spinach
Mustard gives this cream based sauce tons of flavor.
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
- 8 Ounces Mild or Spicy Italian Sausage Meat
- 1 Small White Onion, Finely Chopped
- 3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
- 1 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1/4 Cup Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 Cup White Wine
- Salt & Pepper To Taste
- 4 Cups Baby Spinach
- 3/4 Pound Rigatoni or Penne
To Serve:
- Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
- Set a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat, then cook the sausage meat breaking it up with two forks until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.
- Add the onion and continue to cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook a minute or two more until fragrant.
- Stir in the cream, mustard, white wine, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer and cook just until thickened.
- Keep warm while you cook the pasta until it is “al dente”.
- Drain pasta and return to the pot reserving half a cup of pasta water.
- Add the spinach and sausage cream mixture to the pasta and stir to mix over medium high heat.
- Add a little pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce just until it coats the pasta.
- Serve pasta in individual bowl, offering grated cheese at the table.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 919Total Fat: 65gSaturated Fat: 31gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 33gCholesterol: 168mgSodium: 1096mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 4gSugar: 6gProtein: 32g
