Spaghetti with Chorizo Spinach
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Pasta tossed with thin slices of chorizo and tender spinach leaves. Cook until al dente, then combine with a tomato base for a subtly smoky, vibrant sauce. Parmesan shavings finish the dish with salty richness. A hint of chili flakes optional. Uses fresh baby spinach but frozen works if pressed dry. Olive oil acts as the flavor carrier, browning sausages for depth. A quick simmer avoids losing the fresh green color. Adaptable, no eggs, dairy-light option with shaved cheese on top.
Prep:
15 min
Cook:
20 min
Total:
35 min
Servings:
4 servings
#Italian-inspired
#pasta
#easy dinners
#weeknight meals
#quick cooking
Spaghetti tossed in earthy tomatoes with thin, spicy sausage slices and fresh spinach. I’ve tried many variations—overcooking spinach kills the color and the vibrant bright bite. Undersized sausage bits melt but lack texture; too thick overwhelms. Balance lies in quick wilting leaves, sizzling sausage fat carrying flavor. The sauce should cling lightly not drown pasta. Parmesan or Pecorino adds salty, nutty crunch. No butter or cream, olive oil handles fine. Boil spaghetti carefully—no mush, no stick. If you like heat, a pinch of chili flakes lifts it but is optional. This dish, simple yet lively, rewards attention to timing and texture. More than spaghetti with sauce—coated strands, crunchy sausage edges, and wilted green freshness. A satisfying meal that works for busy nights or small dinner parties.
Ingredients
- 350 g spaghetti, dried, (changed quantity - slightly more than ¾ lb)
- 150 g spicy sausage, like nduja or a milder chorizo, thinly sliced (swapped chorizo for nduja variant)
- 30 ml olive oil
- 480 ml canned crushed tomatoes or fresh pureed (increased sauce volume slightly)
- 140 g baby spinach leaves, or tightly packed fresh spinach
- Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Parmesan cheese shavings or Pecorino Romano for sharper bite
- Optional pinch chili flakes for heat
About the ingredients
Use slightly more pasta than standard ¾ lb to ensure enough strands to soak up the sauce. Sausage swap keeps it interesting; nduja adds spreadable spice and richness while chorizo remains classic. Fresh baby spinach preferred for tenderness and quick wilting; frozen needs squeezing dry to avoid watery sauce. Olive oil must be good quality—the flavor base. Sauce quantity increased for better coating without drowning pasta—too dry, dish feels clumpy; too wet, pasta loses texture. Parmesan can be replaced by Pecorino, sharper notes balance fatty sausage. Chili flakes optional but recommended if you’ve got them. Salt is crucial, but adjust depending on sausage saltiness. Don’t skip it. Reserve some pasta water before draining—if sauce thickens too much, it saves the day by loosening consistency gently. Key: ingredients should harmonize, simple, fresh, balanced.
Method
- Fill a large pot with salted water, bring to rolling boil. Add spaghetti and stir occasionally to stop sticking. Watch for just shy of al dente, around 9-11 minutes depending on brand. Soft but with firm bite. Drain, reserving a little pasta water for sauce if needed.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Toss in sausage slices; hear sizzling, smell rich fat releasing. Cook until golden edges, slightly crisp, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes. Stir to combine with sausage oil, deglaze tasty browned bits off bottom. Bring to gentle boil then lower heat to simmer. Small bubbles, sauce thickened slightly but still juicy, around 5 minutes.
- Add spinach directly to skillet. Stir vigorously; watch it wilt quickly - deep green fades to dark shiny leaves, tender not mushy. Should only take 1-2 minutes. Season with salt, pepper; test a leaf.
- Transfer drained spaghetti into skillet. Toss carefully; strands coat evenly with sauce, sausage bits distributed. If dry, splash reserved pasta water to loosen. Heat through 1-2 minutes until all elements marry. No clumps.
- Serve immediately on warm plates. Scatter freshly shaved Parmesan or Pecorino. A drizzle of olive oil if feeling indulgent. Optional chili flakes sprinkled for kick.
- Enjoy texture contrast: tender spinach, crisp sausage edges, al dente pasta. Sauce rich but balanced acidity. Best eaten hot, any leftovers lose charm quickly.
Cooking tips
Start with boiling salted water for pasta; timing pasta by feel beats clocks. Pasta should ‘bite’ just firm yet cooked through. Meanwhile, brown sausage in oil, hearing that satisfying sizzle—caramelization is flavor gold. Don’t overcrowd pan or sausage steams instead; stir gently but let it have contact with hot surface. Add tomatoes, bring up to mild simmer; bubbles break surface, sauce thickens naturally. Add spinach last. Stir quickly; spinach wilts in seconds, bright green fades to darker shiny hue—any longer and texture suffers. Toss pasta in pan to coat thoroughly; sauce clings better with correct moisture. If dry, splash some reserved cooking water rather than adding plain water. Finish with salty, umami-packed cheese shavings, never grated powder for texture contrast. Optional drizzle oil for shine, richness. Timing and sensory cues guide the process more than exact minutes. Smell sausage fat, see spinach change, taste salt balance constantly. Real cooking, no rush.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Brown sausage slices in olive oil over medium-high heat; you want that crisp golden edge, not mush. Listen for steady sizzling noise — fat rendering releases flavor. Don’t crowd pan or steam instead of brown. Keep stirring gently to prevent burning but let contact stay consistent. Oil carries richness; avoid cheap olive oil to keep sauce depth intact.
- 💡 Add crushed tomatoes after sausage cooks; deglaze pan well — scrape those tasty browned bits off the bottom with your spoon. Small bubbles mean simmer just started. Sauce texture shifts here. Avoid full boil or sauce dries out and acidity sharpens. Adjust heat to maintain gentle simmer around 5 minutes for balanced body.
- 💡 Spinach wilts fast; add last to preserve green color and slight crunch. Stir vigorously but quickly; deep green shifts to shiny dark leaves within 1-2 minutes. Overcook and leaves turn limp, dull, mushy. Frozen spinach requires pressing dry first, or sauce turns watery. Fresh preferred for texture contrast against firm pasta and crisp sausage.
- 💡 Pasta cooking same story: Salt water properly, timing by bite not clock. For spaghetti, 9-11 minutes depending on brand. Should still have firm resistance when bitten - al dente means feel, slight chew, not soft mush or raw crunch. Reserve pasta water before draining. Splash into sauce if dry to loosen. Water starch helps sauce cling well without thinning out.
- 💡 Finish tossing pasta gently in skillet with sausage and wilted spinach. Strands coat evenly if moisture balanced. Cheese shavings on top add salty crunch and umami. Avoid grated powder which melts into sauce and loses texture. Optional drizzle olive oil for shine and additional layer of flavor but use sparingly so it doesn’t grease plate.
Common questions
Can I swap chorizo for another sausage?
Yes. Nduja works well; spreadable and spicy. Mild Italian sausage okay if you want less heat. Avoid very lean sausages or dry texture. Fat content helps flavor and sauce richness.
How to avoid soggy spinach?
Add raw fresh leaves last after sauce simmers. Stir fast, watch color shift green to dark shiny quickly. Remove promptly. If frozen, thaw and press out excess water hefty to keep sauce tight. No extra water means better texture.
Pasta sticky after cooking?
Usually water lacks enough salt or pasta overcooked. Stir during boiling to avoid clumps. Drain promptly. Splash reserved pasta water back in sauce to smooth clumps if too thick. Don’t rinse pasta or you’ll lose starch needed for sauce.
What about leftovers and storage?
Cool quickly. Store in airtight container, fridge up to 2 days best. Spinach softens overnight. Can reheat gently on stove adding drop olive oil or reserved water to loosen. Avoid microwave strong blasts, kills texture fast. Reheat only once.
