Description
This hearty Sausage Spaghetti recipe combines Italian sausage with a rich marinara sauce, infused with red wine and aromatic herbs. Cream cheese and baby spinach add creaminess and freshness, making this a comforting and flavorful dinner perfect for family meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Sausage
- 1 lb. Italian sausage links, hot or sweet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 tablespoons water
Sauce
- 1/3 cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper (½ red and ½ green), diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¾ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¾ teaspoon dried basil
- ¾ teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- ½ chicken bouillon cube
- 32 oz. marinara sauce
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
Pasta & Garnish
- ¾ lb. spaghetti
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the sausage: Remove casings from the sausage links and slice into ¾-inch pieces or roll into meatballs. Heat 6 tablespoons water in a large, high-walled skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, cover, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove lid and increase heat slightly.
- Sear the sausage: Add olive oil to the skillet and sear the sausage until browned, about 5-7 minutes. Remove sausage and set aside.
- Boil pasta water: Start boiling a large pot of water for the spaghetti. Once boiling, add ½ tablespoon salt.
- Deglaze the skillet: Turn off the heat. Add the red wine to the skillet and use a silicone spatula to scrape the bottom and sides to release browned bits. Let it bubble and reduce by half, about 3-4 minutes.
- Sauté vegetables: Turn the heat to medium and add butter, diced onion, diced bell pepper, and minced garlic. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add sauce ingredients: Stir in Worcestershire sauce, honey, dried oregano, basil, mustard powder, diced tomatoes with juice, ½ bouillon cube, and marinara sauce. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer with sausage: Return the browned sausage to the skillet and partially cover. Simmer gently while cooking the spaghetti until al dente according to package instructions.
- Cook pasta: Cook spaghetti in the boiling salted water until al dente. Drain well.
- Add cream cheese and spinach: Stir cream cheese into the sauce until smooth. Add baby spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted and heated through.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add spaghetti to the skillet and stir to achieve your preferred sauce-to-pasta ratio. The pasta will absorb some sauce as it stands.
- Serve: Plate the sausage spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Use Premio Sweet Italian Sausage or Bianco & Sons for best flavor, but any Italian sausage works well.
- For deglazing, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Pinot Noir are ideal red wines. Alternatively, use beef broth and red wine vinegar if avoiding wine.
- High-quality marinara sauces like Rao’s or Carbone offer excellent flavor enhancements.
- Substitute Rotel diced tomatoes for a spicy kick.
- If omitting bouillon cube, season the sauce with salt to taste after cooking.
- Cream cheese smooths out tomato acidity; tub cream cheese melts more easily than block.
- Kale can replace spinach but needs extra cooking time. Sautéed mushrooms add a delicious addition to the sauce.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat gently.
