Italian Sausage Pasta with Kale
This recipe is a bowl of comfort! It was adapted from the Toscana Soup I made almost weekly during the cold weather months when my children were growing up. I love soup in general and wouldn’t mind having it almost everyday to warm up when it’s cold. But, sometimes you need a change and a meal with a little more sustenance.
We call this “Kale Pasta” in our home and it has become a family favorite that is requested over and over again. But, that title doesn’t completely describe this bowl of yum and probably wouldn’t have interested you, right?
Italian sausage, pasta and kale piques the interest of my fellow meat eaters, carb cravers and kale lovers. Win, win, win!
The original recipe had fried diced potatoes in place of the noodles. It was delicious, and I definitely recommend giving this a try. But, it was a little more work and I wanted to get this on the table quicker. So I tried the penne pasta instead and it was a hit!
The Italian diced tomatoes include the right amount of basil and oregano with some garlic. But trust me, adding that extra clove of garlic really helps this flavor to compete with the others.
If you are using hot Italian sausage, you may find that the heat, or spiciness, is enough. If not, add some red pepper flakes. I ways add a few (and a few more) dashes while the meat is cooking because we like this dish a little kicky!
Quick and Easy
This meal comes together quick and easy! Start frying the sausage, diced onion and red pepper flakes and chop up the kale while you wait for your noodle water to boil. When the water is boiling, drop the noodles in and add dump your kale and can of tomatoes in with your sausage. This may seem like a lot of kale, but it will cook down. Add it a handful at a time if your skillet isn’t large enough to hold it all at once. Season with salt and pepper.
When your noodles are ready, drain and rinse in cold water to stop them from over cooking. Add to your skillet, stir and adjust seasonings, if needed.
I like to keep a wedge of parmesan cheese and micro-plane grater on the table. This way everyone can add their favorite amount of parm to their dinner. You can also use the shredded version, too.
You will have this bowl of rustic goodness on the table in no time! Enjoy with hot toasted garlic bread and a proper pour of your favorite red wine!
Italian Sausage Pasta with Kale
Materials
- 1 lb Hot Italian Sausage ground
- ½ Onion diced
- 1 bunch Kale rinsed, stalk removed, chopped
- 1 can Diced tomatoes Italian Style, undrained
- 10 oz Penne pasta cooked al dente
- Salt to taste
- Pepper to taste
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- Parmesan cheese optional
- ¼-½ tsp Red Pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add sausage to skillet and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add chopped onion, red pepper flakes and minced garlic, stir. Continue cooking and breaking up the sausage.
- Meanwhile, begin boiling noodles. Drain and rinse with cold water when al dente, set aside.
- Add undrained can of diced tomatoes, salt and pepper to meat mixture and stir. Taste and adjust salt and/or pepper.
- Begin adding kale, a large handful at a time, folding in with a large spoon. This seems like A LOT of kale, but trust me, it will cook down!! Continue adding kale and stirring until fully incorporated.
- Simmer for a few minutes and let this all "get married" as we say in our Kitchen, stirring occasionally. Depending on your stove top, you may need to adjust the heat to low/simmer.
- Add noodles, and stir until everything is mixed together. Serve with grated or shredded Parmesan on top…enjoy!
