Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Spinach

Ingredients

• 3 cups baby spinach leaves packed rinsed
• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 8 ounces chicken sausages crumbled (see notes)
• 0.3 teaspoon chili flakes hot
• 2 large cloves garlic minced peeled
• 8 oz onion peeled chopped
• 12 ounces orecchiette pasta dried
• 4 ounces pecorino crumbled thinly sliced (see notes)
• 1 pound tomatoes cored ripe rinsed chopped

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• wooden spoon

Directions

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 4 quarts water to a boil.
2. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender to bite, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Drain.
4. Meanwhile, in a 12-inch frying pan or a 4- to 5-quart pan over medium-high heat, melt butter.
5. Add onion and stir often until lightly browned around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Lower heat to medium and add garlic, chili flakes, and crumbled chicken sausages. Stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up sausage if necessary, until meat is beginning to brown, 5 to 10 minutes; if garlic begins to scorch, lower heat.
7. Add tomatoes and spinach; stir until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
8. In a large bowl, mix pasta and sauce to coat; top with ricotta salata.