Fusilli with Italian Sausage & Arugula

By jkenb

Ingredients

• o 4 ounces whole-wheat pasta, such as shells or fusilli
• o 4 ounces hot Italian sausage, removed from casing
• o 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• o 4 cups arugula, or baby spinach
• o 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• o 1/4 cup finely shredded Pecorino Romano, or Parmesan cheese
• o 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• o 1/8 teaspoon salt
• o 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

Step 1

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta 8 to 10 minutes, or according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, arugula (or spinach) and tomatoes. Cook, stirring often, until the greens wilt and the tomatoes begin to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and keep warm.
• Combine cheese, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Measure out 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid; drain the pasta. Whisk the cooking liquid and oil into the cheese mixture; add the pasta and toss to combine. Serve the pasta topped with the sausage-arugula mixture.