Macaroni with Sausage and Kale
Serves 4 to 6
Sausage and kale are perfect partners: the sausage is sweet and fatty, which counterbalances the kale’s bitterness. Sausage meat has built-in seasonings, too, which imbue the sauce with richness and flavor without having to add a lot of extra ingredients.
INGREDIENTS
- Coarse salt
- 1 pound penne or other tubular pasta, such as ziti or fusilli
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more for serving
- 1 head lacinato kale or common kale, trimmed and thinly sliced
- ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
DIRECTIONS
- Boil a large pot of water. Generously salt the water and cook the pasta for 2 minutes shy of the package instructions. Test for doneness and drain, reserving 2 cups of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, heat a large sauté pan over high heat. Swirl in the olive oil. When it shimmers, squeeze the sausage meat from their casings into the pan. Sauté until the meat begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Add the kale and stir to combine. Cook until the kale is tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add the pasta, cheese, and the reserved cooking water to the sausage mixture and stir to combine. Divide among bowls and top with more grated cheese, a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.
PANTRY
Need help with the ingredients? Check our pantry list:
