Orecchiette with Sausage & Spinach 🤍🍝

Ingredients (for 4) 12 oz orecchiette pasta 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or spicy, your choice) 4–5 cups fresh spinach 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 small onion, finely chopped (optional) 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 2 tbsp olive oil 1/3 cup pasta water (save from boiling) Salt & pepper Optional: pinch of red pepper flakes, squeeze of lemon Directions Cook the pasta Bring salted water to a boil and cook the orecchiette until just tender. Save a little pasta water before draining. Start the base In a large pan, heat olive oil. Add onion and cook until soft, then stir in garlic for about a minute until fragrant. Add the sausage Break it up with a spoon and cook until browned and cooked through. Your kitchen will already smell amazing here. Add the spinach Toss it in and let it gently wilt down into the sausage. Bring it all together Add the pasta straight into the pan. Pour in a bit of the reserved pasta water and sprinkle in the Parmesan. Toss everything together until it becomes silky and coats the pasta beautifully. finish with love and taste, adjust salt and pepper, and add a little squeeze of lemon if you like a fresh touch. A little tip 🤍 Don’t rush this dish. Let the pasta sit in the pan for a minute while you toss it—this is where everything comes together and gets that cozy, creamy feel without needing heavy cream. Serving idea Serve it warm with extra Parmesan on top, maybe a simple salad on the side, and enjoy it slowly. This is the kind of meal that turns an ordinary night into something special.