Creamy Mushroom & Chicken Sausage Florentine Pasta! A perfect weekday meal, bow tie pasta is tossed in a rich, cheesy sauce with browned chicken sausage, sauteed mushrooms and spinach.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by al fresco. As always, all opinions here are my own!
Hands down, the top request I get whenever I poll the people about what kinds of recipes they want to see is, "Easy weeknight meals." {Preferably ones that the whole family will eat without complaint!}
I totally get it. That's why I'm excited to share this recipe for Creamy Mushroom & Chicken Sausage Florentine Pasta that checks all the boxes for a family friendly, satisfying meal that won't send mom or dad over the edge at the end of a long day.
Ingredients for Creamy Mushroom & Chicken Sausage Florentine Pasta
The key to easy weeknight meals? Easy, accessible ingredients {and minimal steps in the prep process, if I'm being completely honest}. This particular chicken sausage pasta recipe requires some fridge and pantry basics that, together, create a mouthwatering dish.
You'll need:
- Farfalle {bowtie} pasta -- or your favorite pasta shape
- Olive oil {or butter... see description of Florentine below!}
- al fresco Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Fresh baby spinach
- Half & Half
- Grated Parmesan cheese {or your cheese of choice}
What is "Florentine"-style pasta?
Florentine-style anything, when it comes to cooking, means that a dish is prepared in the regional style of Florence, Italy. Generally speaking, recipes that have "Florentine" in the title contain spinach in some capacity, and you can find the term used fairly loosely in recipes where spinach is one of the main ingredients.
In authentic Florentine-style dishes, spinach is gently simmered in butter before being added to {or in some cases, piled underneath} other ingredients in the dish. Many times Florentine dishes also feature a creamy cheese sauce -- known as a "Mornay" sauce -- shredded cheese, and an "au gratin" finish. {You know, like the toasty breadcrumbs you find on top of homemade mac and cheese. Swoon.}
In this dish, I skip the "simmering in butter" requirement for a real Florentine dish, so I guess that makes it more "Faux-rentine", but I think you'll agree that it's still delicious!
Why al fresco Chicken Sausage?
I'm pretty picky about the meat products I buy for my husband and son, so my eyeballs always go straight to the ingredient list when I'm shopping for them. Luckily, al fresco is made with antibiotic-free chicken, veggies, herbs and natural ingredients that make it EASY to cook up healthful meals for the family in no time.
These al fresco Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausages are individually packaged, making it convenient to cook just one or two without having to worry about wrapping up the rest, which I greatly appreciate. I love that they're fully cooked, so all I have to do is heat them through if I want to add a quick protein to dishes like pastas, pizzas and soups. They're also ideal for grilling up next to some veggies for a well-rounded summer meal!
Adaptations for Dietary Restrictions
It goes without saying, but I'm going to go ahead and say it anyway: Most recipes {especially mine since we live in an omnivorous/pescatarian household} are highly adaptable!
Need a gluten-free version? Replace the farfalle for your favorite gluten-free pasta in any shape! We normally buy brown rice noodles or even chickpea pasta for weekday meals since my husband has a bit of a gluten intolerance and prefers to eat gluten-free 90% of the time.
Need to make this dairy free? Use your favorite creamy nut milk or even plain non-dairy creamer and vegan "cheese" in place of the dairy products among the ingredients.
Have a combo household when it comes to meat? Prepare the chicken sausage in a separate pan and add it to the meat-eaters' portion just before serving!
Creamy Mushroom & Chicken Sausage Florentine Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 al fresco Pasta Night Mild Italian Style Chicken Sausage sliced
- 1 pound bow tie pasta {farfalle}
- 1 8 ounce package sliced mushrooms
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 cloves of garlic grated or minced
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 5 ounce package baby spinach
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken sausage and cook until browned lightly, about 3-4 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water seasoned with salt. Bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, about 11-12 minutes.
- When the chicken sausage is browned, remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and season with a pinch of salt, stirring until they begin to release their liquid.
- Stir in minced garlic. Cook the mushrooms until most of the liquid has evaporated and they're lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes.
- Pour half and half over the mushrooms and stir. Add spinach to the skillet and toss until just beginning to wilt.
- Sprinkle in cheeses and stir until they're melted and have formed a sauce. {You can thin it out a bit with pasta water if needed.}
- Add cooked pasta to the sausage and mushroom mixture and toss to coat pasta and distribute ingredients evenly. Serve hot with an extra sprinkle of Parmesan cheese over top if desired.
