Pasta with Sausage, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach

1 Cup Mascarpone Cheese At Room Temperature
Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
1 Teaspoon Cracked Black Pepper
4 Chicken Sausage or Italian Sausage links
1 1/2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic, sliced
Salt & Pepper
1/3 Cup Chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 (9 Ounce) Bag Baby Spinach
1 box Pasta
Garlic Croutons, crumbled finely
Parmigiano Reggiano, grated (yes use the good stuff!!)

Combine the zest, lemon juice, mascarpone, and pepper in a bowl, and whisk to combine.

Bring a pasta pot of salted water to boil.

While waiting on the water, heat the oil in a skillet, and cook the sausage until it is cooked through and lightly brown. Add the garlic and cook another minute or two. Let cool a bit and then cut into slices - you want the juices to to re-distribute into the sausage.

Cook the pasta until al dente, taking it off the heat about 1 to 2 minutes before you would normally remove it. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Return the pasta to the pot, and set over medium heat. Stir in the mascarpone and lemon mixture, the sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach. Loosen the sauce with about 1/4 cup of the water and toss all over the ingredients together until the spinach has wilted and everything is piping hot, adding a little additional pasta water if needed. Serve immediately, topped with grated cheese & crumbled croutons.