Description
Creamy Garlic Butter Beef Penne with Sausage and Spinach is a rich, hearty pasta dish made with juicy ground beef, seared Italian sausage, and fresh spinach tossed in a velvety garlic butter cream sauce. Perfect for weeknight dinners or comfort food cravings, this one-pan recipe is both satisfying and easy to make.
Ingredients
12 oz penne pasta
1 lb ground beef
2 Italian sausage links, sliced
3 cups fresh spinach
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
Instructions
1. Slice sausage and sear in a skillet until browned, then remove and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, cook ground beef until browned and season with salt and pepper.
3. Add butter and garlic, sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
5. Stir in mozzarella and Parmesan until melted and creamy.
6. Cook penne pasta separately until al dente, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.
7. Combine cooked pasta, sausage, beef, and spinach into the sauce. Stir until spinach wilts.
8. Use pasta water to adjust the consistency if needed.
9. Serve hot topped with extra Parmesan and red pepper flakes.
Notes
Use freshly grated cheese for best melting and flavor.
Don’t skip searing the sausage—it adds deep flavor to the final dish.
Add a splash of milk when reheating leftovers to revive the creamy sauce.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Pasta Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American-Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 720
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 820mg
- Fat: 45g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 42g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 135mg