I often say that it’s all about the sauce and this is a dish that is truly made by the sauce. Spinach Sausage Pasta with Tomato Balsamic Pesto is all about the sauce. I was inspired by a jarred pesto that I purchased that had balsamic vinegar in it and I was sold.
I also love a really simple pasta with high flavor and that’s what this is. It may seem like a lot of ingredients, but you can make so much of it in advance and then assemble in the time that it takes the pasta to cook, which is about 20 minutes.
In that time, you can also make a salad and get the table set. So, if you’re thinking ahead, you can have a world class, really delicious pasta dish on a weeknight!
If you have any pesto leftover, spread it on toast with a fried egg for a savory breakfast. I’m such a sucker for these flavors, and I hope you are too.
Eating for Performance: Carbs
If you’re on my page, then you are looking for performance recipes. Believe it or not, sometimes I have a really hard time getting enough carbs in my teenage athlete. He’s so active; I worry about energy availability.
Carbohydrates are so important for all active individuals, young and old. Performance nutrition is sometimes fixated on protein, but carbs are essential for the energy you need not only for activity, but also for your brain to stay sharp and focused.
All of your macronutrients are essential for performance, but carbs will help give you the sustained energy you need to keep going. Eat this meal on a night after a tough practice or workout, or the night before endurance activity to help load your muscles with glycogen.
Tomato Balsamic Pesto
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1.5 cups
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves and stems
- 1/4 cup plain cashews
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1, 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and blend until smooth.
Notes
This makes 1.5 cups of pesto, you will have some leftover if you make the pasta recipe.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cuisine: Italian
Spinach Sausage Pasta with Tomato Balsamic Pesto
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (1/2 box) thin spaghetti noodles
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 4 big handfuls baby spinach
- 8 ounces pork sausage or chicken sausage, cooked
- 1 recipe tomato balsamic pesto
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
- In a large skillet over medium high heat, cook sausage until no longer pink and starting to crisp up on the edges, remove from the heat and set on a paper towel for the grease to drain. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel to remove excess grease.
- In the same large skillet used to cook the sausage, over medium heat, add olive oil, red onion, and baby spinach. Cook until the onions are translucent and the spinach is wilted.
- Add the pesto to the skillet and stir with the veggies. Add the sausage and the spaghetti noodles. If the pasta is too thick for your liking, you can add small amounts of the pasta water to thin it out.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce and top with parmesan cheese.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner