Sausage & Kale Pasta

Food

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Sausage & Kale Pasta

**adapted from Mimi Thorisson

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1lb mild Italian pork sausage, casings removed
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 1.5 cups kale (about one bunch—leaves stripped from stems and chopped)
• 1 lb rigatoni or mezze rigatoni
• pinch red pepper flakes
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 5 oz freshly grated parmesan cheese + more for serving

A few notes on making this:

• You can use baby kale or Swiss chard instead of kale if preferred, but a hearty green works best. 
• Add a can of cannellini beans for added protein and fiber if desired.

Instructions:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat.  
• Add the pork sausage, breaking it up and cook until browned. 
• Add the onion and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Add kale and season with salt and pepper.  
• Cook, tossing everything together for about three more minutes. 
• Sprinkle in red pepper flakes.  
• Add the pasta to boiling water and cook to al dente, according to the package directions. 
• Scoop pasta with a spider or strainer and add to the sauce pan with sausage and kale. 
• Add Parmesan and stir to mix,  adding pasta water if needed. 
• Serve immediately with extra Parmesan.