Orecchiette is an often-overlooked pasta from the southern region of Italy. They get their name from their shape, which resembles a small ear. And the little indentations in those small ears catch so much sauce and make almost any dish delicious.
This dish is so easy and comes together in less than 30 minutes. Prepare 8 ounces of orecchiette according to the package directions. Add only 1 tablespoon of salt to the water you boil the pasta in. I usually salt my water like the sea, but you will add some of the pasta water to the dish and you do not want it too salty. When the pasta is al dente, drain reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Do not rinse the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Remove 3 Italian sausages from their casings (mild, sweet, or hot) and crumble in the pan keeping it slightly chunky. Sprinkle in a pinch of red pepper flakes and cook until the sausage is brown. Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of white wine and scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan that are filled with goodness. Cook until the wine has reduced to about half.
Reduce the heat to medium and add ½ cup of jarred pesto sauce and ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Stir well and cook for 2 -3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add 8 ounces of fresh spinach stirring well. Simmer for about 5 minutes making sure the spinach has wilted. Stir in 1/3 cup of heavy cream and the drained pasta and cook until warmed through. Add more pasta water if the sauce is too thick. Off the heat stir in 1/3 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese and the juice of ½ a lemon. Serve with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese over the dish.
And that is all there is. In less than 30 minutes you have an easy, delicious, nutritious complete dinner. Enjoy!