Description
A rich, creamy pasta dish made with tender bowtie pasta, savory Italian sausage, hearty ground beef, fresh spinach, and a luscious garlic butter cream sauce. Perfect for weeknights yet impressive enough for guests.
Ingredients
1 lb bowtie pasta
1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or spicy, casings removed)
1 lb ground beef
4 cups fresh spinach
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp butter
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add bowtie pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining, then set aside.
2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Cook Italian sausage and ground beef until browned and fully cooked, breaking up the meat into small crumbles. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, melt butter. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add fresh spinach and cook until just wilted.
4. Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine with butter, garlic, and spinach. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes to slightly thicken.
5. Return cooked meat to the skillet and stir to coat in the sauce. Add pasta and toss together. If sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water.
6. Stir in Parmesan cheese, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Notes
For extra flavor, toast the garlic in butter until lightly golden before adding cream.
Use freshly grated Parmesan instead of pre-shredded for the smoothest sauce.
For a spicy kick, use hot Italian sausage and add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 780
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 980mg
- Fat: 48g
- Saturated Fat: 23g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 39g
- Cholesterol: 160mg
Keywords: pasta, creamy pasta, Italian sausage pasta, garlic butter pasta