Spinach Fettuccine with Creamy Artichokes and Chicken Sausage Sauce
Simple ingredients transform into beautiful ribbons of fresh spinach fettuccine in this recipe for Homemade Spinach Fettuccine with Creamy Artichoke and Chicken Sausage Sauce.
Bring a pot of water with a steamer insert to a boil. Steam the spinach about 2 minutes, or until just wilted. Drain and press the spinach between kitchen towels until excess water is removed. The drier the spinach, the better.
Puree the spinach using a hand blender. Add the eggs and egg yolk and blend. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, whisk together the flour and salt. Drop in the eggs and spinach mixture, and 1 tablespoon of water. Stir on low speed for 30 seconds. Switch the attachment to a dough hook and continue combining the dough for about two minutes. Add an additional tablespoon of water if the dough seems too dry. The mixture will look crumbly but if you take a morsel and squeeze together, the dough should come together.
Empty the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough comes together into a ball. Cover with a bowl or plastic wrap and let it sit for 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Roll one of the pieces out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using a pasta roller (if you have KitchenAid stand mixer and large pasta roller attachment, go ahead and use that), pass it through the 1 setting and fold the dough over. Pass through again and repeat until the dough is smooth. Lower the setting to 2 and pass through. Continue until you are at the 4th setting. The pasta will be long - lay it on a lightly floured surface and cut into half. Lightly dust the top of the pasta sheets with more flour. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
Switch the pasta roller for a fettuccine cutter. Pass the dough through and set the ribbons of fettuccine pasta aside.
Make the Sauce:
Bring a large pot of boiling water to a boil. Salt the water.
In a large, deep sided sauté pan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the chicken sausage and brown, breaking it apart with a fork or wooden spoon.
Add the garlic and continue cooking. When the sausage is fully cooked, add the spinach, artichokes, chicken stock, and pasta water and let it come to a bubble. Stir in the the mascarpone and red pepper flakes, and season to taste with salt and pepper. The sauce should thicken, but if not, add a tablespoon of flour until you achieve a creamy texture.
Meantime, drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook. It will take 2-4 minutes and float to the top when done. Drain.
Serve the pasta with the creamy sauce, and topped with parmesan cheese. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.