Simple Kale and Sausage Pasta
This SIMPLE KALE AND SAUSAGE PASTA saved my butt so many times on busy weeknights. It’s a true back-pocket recipe. It is quick and easy, involving only 6 ingredients but always super tasty and welcomed by my fam.
I love using the super dark green Lacinato kale for this but curly kale is great as well. The important thing in my opinion is to load up on it - one large bunch of kale or two smaller bunches. They cook down a lot.
For the sausages, feel free to use any you enjoy. Since this dish involves so few ingredients, each makes a difference in adding to it so do use a quality sausage you love. People often use Italian sausages for similar recipes but I personally don’t love the fennel in them (unpopular opinion, I’m sure) so I typically seek out sausages without fennel. For me, the best is when I can swing by my local butcher to snag a few Berkshire pork sausages which are made from a heritage breed of pigs, are very flavourful and super juicy. Even then, the total ingredient cost of this meal adds up to only about $20 for a family of four. Very reasonable, me thinks 👍
I’ve been making this SIMPLE KALE AND SAUSAGE PASTA for years but had no intention to share it until now. It had seemed the internet was already stacked with so many recipes for kale and sausage pasta. But alas, having started my Instagram recipe series, You Got This in 30 Minutes (wherein every recipe is family friendly and can be made in 30 minutes or less), it seemed remiss not to include this solid one in the line-up. And I get asked for the recipe every time I make it on IG stories so, here we are!
My SIMPLE KALE AND SAUSAGE PASTA is named that because it truly is simple and pared down, but incredibly tasty thanks in particular to choosing quality sausages and taking the time to brown the tomato paste during cooking. Let me know what you think of this recipe or if you make it, share and tag me on Instagram so I can see :)
Eat well + be well x
Sonia
You May Also Be Interested in…
other recipes from the same recipe series, You Got This in 30 Minutes:
》MUSHROOM AND EGG “GYUDON” JAPANESE RICE BOWL RECIPE
》15 MINUTES ROASTED RED PEPPER PASTA RECIPE
》PASTA WITH BROCCOLI, GARLIC AND LEMON
SIMPLE KALE AND SAUSAGE PASTA
Recipe serves 4.
INGREDIENTS
1 lb short pasta of choice such as rigatoni, orecchiette, penne, etc.
1 lb pork sausage of choice such as Italian (about 2-3 sausages)
1 large bunch (or 2 smaller bunches) kale, leaves ripped off their woody stems (discard stems)
½ large white onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste
Kosher salt to taste
Neutral oil for cooking
To serve:
Italian red peperoncini in oil or dried chili pepper flakes
METHOD
Fill a pasta pot with 3 quarts of water and bring to a boil. Heat a separate Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat.
Once pasta water is boiling, add 2 tablespoons of kosher salt (or amount needed for water to “taste as salty as the sea”) and the pasta to cook according to package directions for al dente, less 1-2 minutes.
Drizzle a tablespoon of oil into the preheated Dutch oven. Add onions to sauté for 30 seconds. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds more. Pull sausage meat out of casings directly into the pot. Break it up with a wooden spoon and let it cook undisturbed until the bottom is starting to brown. Mix well and let it the bottom brown as well. Add tomato paste, stirring just a bit to ensure maximum contact with the pot bottom. Make sure to let the tomato paste cook until it darkens to a deeper colour to pull out all its flavours. Mix everything well.
Hand-tear kale into pieces directly into the pot. Season with a generous sprinkle of kosher salt. Mix well and cook down a bit.
By now the pasta should be ready. Make sure to reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining pasta. I just use a handheld colander to scoop the pasta over right into the kale and sausage. Mix well and add pasta water as needed to adjust to desired consistency. I tend of add about 2/3 cup of pasta water. Cook 30 seconds more to absorb or when pasta is to your desired doneness. Serve with Italian red peperoncini in oil (highly recommend if you can find this) or other spicy condiment of choice or dry chili pepper flakes. Enjoy!