Creamy Garlic Butter Beef Bowtie Pasta with Italian Sausage and Spinach
A skillet pasta with beef, Italian sausage, and spinach in a creamy garlic butter cheese sauce.
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Large pot
- Saucepan
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 16 oz bowtie pasta
- 16 oz ground beef 80 percent lean
- 16 oz Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 10 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 cup whole milk
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning adjust for heat
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 pinch black pepper
Instructions
Cooking
- Boil pasta. Cook the bowtie pasta until just tender, then drain and set aside.
- Brown meats. Cook the beef and sausage in the hot oil over medium high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the beef reaches 160 degrees F, then drain the fat.
- Soften onion. Cook the onion for 5 minutes, add the garlic for 1 minute, then stir in the spinach.
- Make the sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan, whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk and broth and simmer 5 to 7 minutes until thick.
- Add cheese. Stir in the cream, Parmesan, mozzarella, and all seasonings until smooth.
- Combine. Pour the sauce over the meat, add the pasta, and toss over low heat for 2 minutes.
Notes
Substitutions: Use half and half in place of heavy cream for a lighter sauce, or swap the sausage for more ground beef.
Tips: Squeeze the spinach very dry so the sauce stays thick.
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days and reheat to 165 degrees F. Do not freeze, since the cream sauce turns grainy.