penne with chicken sausage, spinach and beans

YUM! i was hesitant to try this recipe because im not a huge fan of spinach and ive never tried chicken sausage but i had some in my fridge that needed to be used so i thought i would give it a try. and omg was i pleasantly surprised! oliver hardly put up a fight eating it (after picking out the green of course). aj was a little hesitant at first, but she finished her portion (minus the beans... my husband and i are trying to figure out how we had a child that doesnt like beans). even my husband enjoyed it (onions and all! in fact he kept saying "i can't believe i like spinach") anyways, this is definitely a recipe that i will be making again very soon! SUCCESS!

(full disclosure... i tried using dry beans that i had sitting in water overnight knowing i was going to make this recipe... those didnt work out -they were still hard as rocks- so next time i make this i plan on using canned beans... and i will never again try using dry beans. this is the third time that i have tried using them and i'm 0 for 3. so unless someone has any tips/suggestions on what i can do differently, im sticking to canned beans)

penne with chicken sausage, spinach and beans
from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/01/pasta-with-italian-chicken-sausage.html#more

10 oz penne pasta
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 al fresco cooked chicken sausage links, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch spinach rinsed and torn into bite sized pieces (i only used one bunch cuz iwasnt sure how i was going to like it but next time i will definitely double the spinach)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste (optional)
pepper to taste

Rinse spinach and tear into bite sized pieces.

Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente in a large pot of salted water. Reserve 1/2 cup water before draining.

While pasta water boils, heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add olive oil; when hot add onions, garlic and pepper until soft.

Add sausage until heated through- set aside in a dish.

Add chicken broth and beans to the skillet. Add spinach; stir and cook about 4 minutes or until wilted.

Gently stir in sausage, pasta, red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup of the reserved water or more if needed and grated Parmesan.