Easy Pesto Pasta

Quick weeknight meals are a must in our house.  We work long days and want to spend time with the A Team at night, so we would like to be in and out of the kitchen as quickly as we can, but still cooking a meal that we can all enjoy.  So a good go to is pasta.  It cooks up quick, its hearty and just comforting.  I am a lover of all things pasta, but had never really experimented a lot with pesto until I moved out on my own and saw Rachael Ray do it.  Now I am hooked.  It just gives new life to some old pasta dishes.  This one is hearty and comforting and very rustic.

Ingredients

• 1 lb of your favorite pasta (We used radiatore.)
• 1 lb ground italian sausage (I love Johnsonville for this!) (If it's in a casing, remove the casing)
• 1 - 8.1 oz jar of pesto
• 15 oz of ricotta cheese
• 3 cups fresh spinach
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
• parmesean cheese (1/4 cup for the sauce and additional for topping)

Recipe

• Add water to your pasta pot and salt it.  (This is the only time you can add flavor to the pasta itself, so salt it!)  Bring to a boil and then add the pasta, stirring occasionally and cook until al dente (still has a bite to it).  Drain and set to the side.
• Brown the italian sausage in a skillet over medium heat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon while browning. Once browned, add in the garlic cloves and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add in the pesto and stir to combine.  Add in the spinach and allow to wilt down and stir into the meat mixture.  Add in ricotta and stir to combine.  Lastly, add in the parmeasan and allow to melt.
• Combine the pasta and the sauce in a large bowl, tossing to coat the pasta.  Serve topped with additional parmesean cheese.

Enjoy!

Misty