Description
This Creamy Garlic Butter Beef Penne with Sausage and Spinach is a rich, cheesy, and flavorful comfort food favorite. It features seared beef sausage, seasoned ground beef, a creamy garlic butter sauce, and tender baby spinach, all tossed with perfectly cooked penne pasta. This dish is satisfying enough for a dinner party yet quick enough for a weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound penne pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 4–6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Optional: Red pepper flakes for heat
Instructions
- Cook penne pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1 cup of pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, brown the Italian sausage in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the skillet.
- Add the ground beef to the same skillet and cook until browned, breaking it up. Drain off excess grease.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the butter to the skillet and let it melt, coating the beef and onions.
- Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Stir in the mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses until melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the cooked sausage to the skillet. Add the cooked penne pasta and the fresh spinach.
- Toss everything together until the spinach wilts and the pasta is well coated in the creamy garlic butter sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
- For a leaner option, use ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef.
- Other pasta shapes like rigatoni or fusilli can be used.
- Kale or arugula can be substituted for spinach.
- Different cheeses like provolone or fontina can be used instead of mozzarella.
- For a lighter sauce, use half-and-half or a mix of milk and Greek yogurt.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 750
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 45g
- Saturated Fat: 25g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 150mg