Spicy Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Rigate

I have been a diehard fan of Chile Pepper magazine for years. Despite what the name might suggest to you, it’s not a magazine about over-the-top way-too-hot peppers and foods and sauces. Instead, it has a variety of recipes and articles, catering not only to chile heads, but also people that just want a little kick to their foods. Everything I have made from the magazine has turned out absolutely fantastic. They aren’t playing around. Grab yourself a copy off the news-stand or order a subscription online. Or do what I did and have a subscription for years. And years. And make some of their great recipes like this spicy sausage and sun-dried tomato penne rigate.

Spicy Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Rigate

This spicy sausage and sun-dried tomato penne rigate dish is creamy, with just a little heat, thanks to spicy sausage, red pepper flake and hot cheese. The original recipe used sliced chicken breast, but I went with chicken sausage for a little more spice. Any chicken would work in this dish, though.

The sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and spinach add a great twist to what would be a great meal by itself. This doesn’t take long to make and will wow your guests with great flavors.

I like to use my good ole trusty Dutch oven to make this dish and pretty much darned near anything like it on my stovetop. It’s nice and big and sturdy. That extra weight helps it maintain and distribute heat perfectly. As an added bonus, it’s actually pretty easy to clean up too!

Also try my easy-to-make but still awesome spicy sausage and pasta.

Spicy Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Rigate
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5 from 1 vote

Spicy Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Rigate

This sausage and pasta dish is creamy, with just a little heat, thanks to spicy sausage, red pepper flake and hot cheese. The original recipe used sliced chicken breast, but I went with chicken sausage for a little more spice. 
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword pasta, sausage, spicy, sun-dried tomato
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 703kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 pound penne rigate
  • kosher salt
  • ground black pepper
  • 1 8.5 ounce sun-dried tomatoes
  • ½ sweet onion diced
  • 4 ounces mushrooms sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 cups spinach fresh
  • 1 pound chicken sausage spicy, sliced thin
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 2 cups Habanero Jack cheese shredded
  • 1 ½ tablespoons dried red pepper flake
  • Parmesan cheese freshly grated, for serving

Instructions

  • Cook pasta per package instructions. When done, reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and reserve the pasta.
  • Drain the sun-dried tomatoes but save the oil. Chop or slice the tomatoes.
  • In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato oil over medium-high heat.
  • Add the onion, and mushrooms and cook until they start to soften, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook another minute.
  • Add the sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Cook, stirring often, until the spinach wilts. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
  • Add another tablespoon of the reserved sun-dried tomato oil to the skillet. Add the sausage and cook until done and lightly browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add the cream and shredded cheese. Bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat to simmer. Stir until the cheese is melted.
  • Add the cooked pasta and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir.
  • Add the red pepper flakes, cooked vegetables and sausage. Stir.
  • Simmer for 10 minutes. If mixture is too thick add a bit more of the reserved pasta water and stir.
  • Serve garnished with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition

Calories: 703kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 117mg | Sodium: 1065mg | Potassium: 559mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3312IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 417mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Grilled Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Sandwich

After hearing that one of the sandwiches that the Serendipity food truck (sadly, no longer around) serves is based on a spinach and artichoke dip, I took it as a challenge to take my spinach and artichoke dip and make it into a grilled cheese sandwich. And oh, what a happy day it was. This grilled spinach and artichoke cheese sandwich combines a great cheesy dip with grilled sourdough bread. The result is gooey and savory, a perfect change from the ole traditional grilled cheese sandwich. And oh, the bread! The perfect crunchiness to go with the creamy filling!

Grilled Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Sandwich

You’ll want to use a thick, hearty bread for these sandwiches. Thin wimpy white bread isn’t going to cut it. I bought a loaf of sourdough and cut it thick.

I used my Cuisinart Griddler to make these sandwiches. It is a sandwich cooking machine. I love it. I use it for whole bunch of other dishes, too. Like pancakes or waffles. And hamburgers. It’s really a versatile tool to have.

The Griddler is a champ at making grilled cheese sandwiches, like my muffuletta grilled cheese, grilled caramel apply cheese, and pepperoni pizza grilled cheese.

Also try my spinach artichoke stuffed hamburgers!

Grilled Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Sandwich
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5 from 1 vote

Grilled Spinach and Artichoke Cheese Sandwich

This grilled spinach and artichoke cheese sandwich combines a great cheesy dip with grilled sourdough bread. The result is gooey and savory, a perfect change from the ole traditional grilled cheese sandwich.
Course Main
Cuisine American
Keyword grilled cheese, sandwich
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 389kcal
Author Mike

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Spray a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.
  • Meanwhile, brush one side of the bread pieces with butter.
  • Place bread, butter side down, into skillet.
  • Spoon as much dip as you want onto one of the bread slices.
  • Cover skillet and cook until bread is browned and dip starts to melt.
  • Assemble sandwich and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 389kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 688mg | Potassium: 204mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 91mg | Iron: 5mg

Nutritional values are approximate.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This spinach and artichoke dip rocks. It is thick, creamy, cheesy, and it has a little kick – all of my favorite things in one bite. I made a huge batch of this dip for a family get-together and it was well-liked by all. Ok, the kids didn’t even try it (it has green stuff in it), so I should say it was well-liked by all of the adults!

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

I kept the spinach and artichoke dip warm in a fondue pot and served it with bagel chips. This dip also makes for a fantastic grilled cheese sandwich. I’ll post more on that tomorrow.

This recipe was based on a recipe from Olive Garden.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip
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4 from 1 vote

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This spinach and artichoke dip rocks. It is thick, creamy, cheesy, and it has a little kick – all of my favorite things in one bite. 
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword artichokes, dip, spinach
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 122kcal

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a medium skillet. Add artichoke hearts and spinach and boil for 10 minutes or until the artichokes are tender. (You can also steam in the spinach and artichokes in a steamer). Drain well.
  • Place cheese into a large bowl. Add the spinach and artichokes and remaining ingredients.
  • Stir well. Add some of the reserved artichoke heart liquid if the mixture is too thick.

Nutrition

Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 35mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 58mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 642IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 104mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutritional values are approximate.