Sausage Kale Pasta
This dish is not only a crowd-pleaser but also incredibly flexible, allowing for various greens and levels of heat according to your preference. The starch-laden pasta water and olive oil marry to form a light but emulsified sauce that coats the pasta beautifully, making each bite satisfying. Enjoy this Krammes family favorite any night of the week!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- Pasta of choice, a versatile shape that holds sauce well
- 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
- Olive oil for browning and creating the sauce
- Kale, roughly chopped (can substitute with spinach, mustard greens, or broccoli rabe)
- 2 cups pasta water, reserved for creating the sauce
- Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- Chili flakes, to taste for some added heat
- Salt and pepper, to season
- Garlic bread, optional for serving
Instructions
- Prep the Pasta:
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package directions, but stop one minute short of the recommended cooking time to keep it al dente.
- Reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Cook the Sausage:
- In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat.
- Add the sweet and hot Italian sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, and cook until browned and cooked through.
- Wilt the Kale:
- Once the sausage is browned, add the kale directly to the skillet.
- Sauté the kale in the sausage and olive oil mixture until it’s wilted and tender.
- Combine Pasta with Sausage and Kale:
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet with the sausage and kale.
- Pour in the reserved pasta water, which will help to create a silky sauce when combined with the olive oil and starch from the pasta.
- Stir everything together, allowing the pasta to finish cooking and absorb the flavors of the sausage and kale.
- Finish and Serve:
- Off the heat, toss the pasta with a generous drizzle of olive oil, then add the freshly grated cheese and chili flakes, mixing until the cheese has melted into the sauce.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve hot, with optional garlic bread on the side for scooping up any extra sauce.
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