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Ingredients

1 (16 ounce) package orecchiette pasta 1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach 12 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced ½ teaspoon salt 1 pinch red pepper flakes 1 large egg salt and ground black pepper to taste ½ cup grated ricotta salata cheese

Nutrition Info

542.7 calories carbohydrate: 58.2 g cholesterol: 92.5 mg fat: 23.8 g fiber: 3.8 g protein: 25.4 g saturatedFat: 6.7 g servingSize: - sodium: 947.6 mg sugar: 2.5 g transFat: : - unsaturatedFat: : -

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in orecchiette and return to a boil. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender still firm to the bite, about 12 minutes.
Place spinach in a large colander. Scoop out 1 cup pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain pasta in the colander, wilting the spinach.
Roll turkey sausage meat into 20 to 30 balls.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and no longer pink in the center, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Pour off any drippings left in the skillet. Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cooked pasta, spinach, and meatballs to the skillet.
Whisk reserved pasta water and egg together in a small bowl. Stir into the skillet until sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide pasta among bowls. Sprinkle with ricotta salata cheese and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.

6 servings

This orecchiette recipe started as two different recipes, and I combined them to make one amazing dish!