Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb. mild or hot Italian sausage
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 cups torn fresh spinach
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
• 1 14.5-oz. can stewed tomatoes, tomatoes coarsely chopped
• 12 oz. rigatoni pasta
• Parmesan cheese, freshly shaved or grated (for garnish)

Directions

(Note: Have torn spinach, chopped basil and minced garlic ready near cooking area before beginning to cook.)

Begin cooking Rigatoni according to package directions.

While rigatoni pasta is cooking, remove casings from sausage and place on a plate or tray near cooking area. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausages to skillet and cook, turning as needed to lightly brown all surfaces and cook through. (Alternatively, sausage may be broken up into random bite-size chunks during cooking, which will allow you to skip the step of slicing - though cooking whole then slicing produces a more tender result). Transfer sausages to a cutting board and slice into bite-size pieces. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Add minced garlic to skillet and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook just until garlic just starts to brown. Add spinach and basil leaves and cook until spinach has slightly wilted. Stir in chopped stewed tomatoes and simmer over low heat until spinach is cooked (about 3-5 minutes).

Return cooked sausage pieces to skillet and stir to combine. If rigatoni is not yet cooked, cover and keep over low simmering heat. Once rigatoni has cooked, drain in collander, then add to skillet and stir to combine.

Garnish with freshly shaved or grated Parmesan cheese.