This Creamy Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Sausage Pasta recipe is one of our favorite comfort dishes! And I guarantee that you are going to love this dish, as well. It contains fresh spinach, sun dried tomatoes, penne pasta, and turkey sausage. All in a super creamy, incredibly delicious and light cream sauce.
You will be inhaling this by the forkful!
CREAMY SPINACH AND SUN DRIED TOMATO TURKEY SAUSAGE PASTA
Allow me to repeat what you just read above: You will be inhaling this by the forkful!
Why? Because this pasta dish is that good. So good that you will not only go back for seconds, but you’ll be adding it to your recipe rotation. Not only that, but the flavors alone will make your taste buds dance and rejoice.
Pasta dishes are meant to be comfort foods. Especially through those cold, never-ending wintery days. All we want after a long day is to curl up under a blanket with a heartwarming meal. That is exactly what this Creamy Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Sausage Pasta dish is.
So bust out the pasta, your stretchy pants, and your favorite blanket. It’s time to get cozy!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS PASTA DISH
Full recipe with directions is available via the printable recipe card below. Simply scroll down and either save to Pinterest for later OR hit the print button!
- Penne pasta
- Turkey sausage – crumbled or links
- Sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
- Minced garlic
- Cheeses: asiago and parmesan
- Half and half
- Cream cheese
- Baby spinach
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable broth
- Unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper
As you can see, this Creamy Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Sausage Pasta dish is not all that unhealthy. The mushrooms and spinach are healthy additions, as well as this dish being lightened up using half and half, rather than traditional heavy cream that is found in most cream sauces.
The slight indulgence is more than worth it, I assure you! You may even be like me and find yourself standing at your fridge with a fork, indulging in some cold leftovers. Don’t worry, I won’t judge you. And if you do it in the middle of the night, who’s going to see you? 😉
COOKING TIPS AND SWAPS
→ Sun Dried Tomatoes: Add as little or as much as you want. Use the olive oil in the jar to cook. It adds so much flavor! Not a fan of sun dried tomatoes? Swap them out for roasted red peppers!
→ Turkey Sausage: Turkey sausage is used in this dish to lower the fat and calorie count. You can use crumbled or links if you can’t find a turkey sausage roll.
→ Vegetable Broth: If you don’t have any on hand, you can easily use the water that the pasta cooked in or chicken broth. I always use low-sodium or salt-free so that I can have some control over the amount of sodium in a dish.
→ Baby Spinach: You can use frozen spinach. Just make sure that it is throughly thawed and drained before adding it to the pan.
→ Sauce: Pasta will absorb the moisture from the sauce, causing the sauce to thicken. Therefore, I recommend erring on the side of caution when it comes to thickening the sauce or cooking it too long. Especially if you’re going to have leftovers.
If you end up making this Creamy Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Sausage Pasta dish – please leave a comment below and let me know what you think! Or be sure to tag me on Instagram (@withpeanutbutterontop) so that I can see your remakes. I love reading your thoughts, dietary swaps and any feedback you have!
More delicious pasta dishes to try:
- Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Pasta
- Lemon Garlic and Feta Pasta Salad
- Ultra Creamy Beef and Shells
- Chicken Avocado Pesto Pasta
- Instant Pot Beef Ragu Pappardelle
- Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
For lighter, low-carb pasta alternative dishes:
- Grilled Bruschetta Chicken with Zoodles
- Garlic Parmesan Ricotta Zoodles
- Zucchini Lasagna Roll Ups
- Lemon Chicken Zoodle Soup
- Shrimp Scampi Zoodles
- Garlic Honey Lime Shrimp and Zoodles
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Creamy Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Sausage Pasta
Ingredients:
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, (softened at room temperature)
- 1/2-1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, (or chicken broth)
- 1/3 cup asiago cheese, (freshly grated)
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, (freshly grated)
- salt and pepper, (to taste)
Sausage and Vegetable Mix:
- 1 pound turkey sausage, (log or links)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, (reserved from sun dried tomatos jar)
- (1) 8 ounce jar of sun dried tomatoes in olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth, (or chicken broth)
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 12 ounces penne pasta, (or pasta of choice)
Instructions:
- Cook pasta according to the directions on the package.If you don't have broth, reserve the pasta water for the amount needed for the pan and sauce before straining.
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil from the sun dried tomatoes jar. Once the oil is heated, add the sausage. Break the sausage log apart as it cooks to desired size. Cook through, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add the sun dried tomatoes and minced garlic. Cook 30-60 seconds or until the garlic is fragrant.
- While the sausage is cooking, place a separate large skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the flour and continue to whisk until all of the flour is absorbed. Slowly pour in the half and half, whisking continuously as you pour. Whisk until no lumps remain.Allow to bubble and cook to thicken.
- Pour 1/2 cup of vegetable broth into the pan with the sausage and stir to remove any brown bits that may be sticking to the pan from the sausage. Add chopped spinach and allow to cook 2-3 minutes, or until wilted. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
- To the sauce, add in the cream cheese tablespoon by tablespoon. Stir until thoroughly melted. Remove pan from heat, add in the asiago cheese and parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in 1/2-1 cup of broth until the desired consistency is met.If its too thick, continue adding broth. If it's too thin, return it to the burner over medium heat for a few minutes to thicken.
- Serve warm, garnished with freshly grated parmesan and/or asiago cheese!
