Penne with Sausage and Spinach

I’ve been making this for Mike for the past 2 years. I was tweaking it every time, but now I think I finally have it. Mike asks for it at least once a month in the fall and winter. It's also a pretty cheap meal! It comes from my favorite magazine that was discontinued which was made into a book, Fast Fix, family foods by Better Homes and Gardens.

Servings: 6

Ingredients
1 pound cooked smoked sausage, halved lengthwise and cut into ½ inch thick slices
1 large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, chopped (or 2 teaspoons of jarred garlic)
2 teaspoons of olive oil
1 32oz. of reduced-sodium chicken broth or stock
1 cup of water
1 pound of penne
1 6-9oz. package of fresh pre-washed baby spinach
¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup whipping cream

Directions

1. In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook sausage, onion, and garlic in hot oil over medium-high heat until onion is tender and sausage is lightly browned.
2. Add broth and the water; bring to a boil.
3. Add pasta; cook until tender, stirring frequently.
4. Add spinach and pepper; cook about 1 minute or until spinach is wilted.
5. Stir in cream and serve.

Note: When you’re cooking the pasta, it may look like there isn’t enough liquid; there is, but if you need to, you can add water at ½ cup increments. You want a thick (not soupy) finished product.

P.S. The leftovers are delicious!