Pasta with Italian Sausage and Fresh Spinach

2 links Italian sausage (hot or mild) removed from casings and crumbled
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 ounces short cut pasta, cellantenni preferred
8 ounces cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped or chiffonaded
4 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Roast cherry tomatoes and garlic cloves with 2 tablespoons olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper at 450 degrees for about 20 minutes (or until tomatoes have burst and slightly browned).

In a heavy skillet, cook crumbled sausage and onion in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil until well browned. Add crushed red pepper.

While sausage is cooking, cook pasta in large pot with nicely salted water.

When sausage is cooked though (no pink remaining), add tomatoes and spinach and mix well. Add pasta then add enough of the pasta water to make the sauce the desired consistency.

Place in bowls and sprinkle with Pecorino Romano (or Parmesan) if desired.

Serving Size: Makes 4 servings, about 1.5 cups each

Number of Servings: 4

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user EILEENNP.