PREP: Slice sausage thinly into coins. Cut cherry tomatoes in half (or quarters if large). Chop spinach coarsely. If using fresh corn, shuck it and then cut off the cob. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
SAUSAGE: Heat a large cast-iron skillet/pot (big enough to hold all the pasta later) over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add coined sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 6-8 minutes. If there is an excess of grease (more than 2 tbsp), drain some off. To the center of the pan, add 2 tbsp. butter, 2-1/2 tsp. garlic, halved cherry tomatoes, and 2-1/2 cups corn. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I add 1/2 tsp of each, but add to preference). Add in 3/4 tsp. dried thyme. Sauté, stirring frequently, for 5-6 minutes or until tomatoes become saucy and excess liquid is mostly evaporated.
PASTA: Once water is boiling, generously salt the water -- I add 2 tsp salt. (Heads-up: remember to save some pasta water--See Note 5.) Cook the pasta according to package instructions--minus 1 minute from what the package indicates. Drain.
FINISHING: Back to the sauce: reduce heat to low and add 1/2 cup cream, and 1/3 cup Parmesan. Stir. Bring to a low simmer and simmer until thickened and cheese is melted, about 1-2 minutes. Next add 4 cups chopped spinach, drained cooked pasta, and a squeeze of lemon (if using). Switch to tongs. Tossing constantly, gradually add in the last 1/3 cup Parmesan, a tablespoon at a time until pasta and sauce are nicely emulsified (Note 6). Add an extra splash of cream or reserved pasta water, if needed, to thin the sauce. Toss until nice and creamy. Top individual plates with additional grated Parmesan and basil if desired. Enjoy!
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Notes
Note 1: Sausage: We use a fully cooked smoked sausage for this recipe. We love using smoked turkey sausage (to keep this dish on the lighter side). You could also use chickensausage for a lighter option. If you'd rather use ground sausage, brown it first, then pull it out and set aside (on a paper-towel-lined plate) while preparing the rest of the dish. Add the cooked sausage back in with the cooked pasta.Note 2: Spaghetti: Make sure to only use 8 ounces (this is half of a standard 1 pound/16 ounce package). The sauce won't coat the entire package well.Note 3:Corn: We tested this dish with both frozen and fresh sweet corn -- either works great. The cream sauce is a bit thinner with the frozen corn because of the evaporated liquid. For fresh corn, you can boil or grill it before cutting off the kernels if preferred. We like the corn to retain more crispness so we just cut it off the cob and add it in!Note 4: Parmesan cheese: Grab a block of Parmesan and grate it on the small holes of a grater. Alternatively, use finely grated Parmesan cheese. (Parmesan from the can will be too salty and won't melt into the sauce nicely.)Note 5: Saving pasta water: We want to save some pasta water to thicken the sauce. Here's a trick to remember: set a large colander in the sink with a glass or ceramic mug in the center of the colander. When you drain pour off the pasta water, you'll see the mug and be reminded to fill it first.Note 6: Emulsifying: Toss until you get the sauce clings to the spaghetti instead of falling to the bottom of the pan. (The final step of tossing the cream sauce, hot pasta, and reserved pasta water is one of the secrets to good pasta dishes. It’s called emulsifying and that’s how you get a luxuriously smooth and incredibly flavorful sauce.)