My wife found this recipe on instagram or someplace and has made it a few times. It’s fantastic and its relatively easy to make. The original recipe calls for gnocchi, but my wife, who doesn’t like the texture of gnocchi, ‘accidentally’ grabbed 3 cheese Tortellini the first time she made this and thats the way we tend to make it.

So, you can make it with Tortellini or gnocci.

Ingredients#

 1 lb ground mild Italian sausage
 8 oz bag of spinach, roughly chopped (or hand-shredded)
 2 tbsp minced garlic
 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
 2 cups half-and-half (or heavy cream)
 3 oz grated Parmesan
 1 package of 3 cheese Tortellini
 1 tbsp tomato paste
 1 tsp olive oil
 1 tsp salt
 1 tsp pepper
 1 tsp Italian seasoning
 1 tsp oregano
 1 tsp parsley
 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
 1 tsp onion powder
 1 tsp garlic powder

Instructions#

1. Heat oil & garlic#

Add 1 tsp olive oil to a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant.

2. Cook sausage#

Add Italian sausage and cook completely, breaking it up as it browns. Then add all seasonings (salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, oregano, parsley, crushed red pepper flakes, onion powder, garlic powder) plus the tomato paste. Stir to combine.

3. Add broth & gnocchi#

Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook for 3–5 minutes until they float to the surface.

4. Add cream, Parmesan & spinach#

Reduce heat to low and add the half-and-half or cream. Add grated Parmesan and stir until melted. Finally, stir in the shredded spinach until wilted.

5. Simmer & serve#

Let everything simmer for about 10 minutes until slightly thickened, then serve hot.

Makes enough for 4 people.