Spicy Pasta with Kale and Italian Sausage

Course: Dinner
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale cut into strips, simmered in salted water for 5 minutes
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp butter unsalted
  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage removed from casings and broken up
  • 2 cloves garlic diced
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes slightly rounded
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 10 ripe Italian Roma tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 10 fresh basil leaves julienned
  • 1 Tbsp butter unsalted, to finish the sauce
  • 1 1/2 cup pecorino or parmesan cheese grated
  • 1/2 lb orecchiette pasta cooked in salted water to al dente

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil and unsalted butter in a large sauté pan. Sauté the sausage until it is lightly browned. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, flour, and cook for a minute to slightly soften the garlic.
  • Add the stock and bring it to a boil.
  • Reduce the stock mixture until only about ½ cup of liquid remains. The mixture will be a sauce consistency. Whisk in the 1-tablespoon of the butter to the reduced sauce. (While the stock/sausage mixture is reducing cook the pasta).
  • Add tomatoes, drained kale, and basil. Add the well-drained pasta to the meat mixture and cook for an additional minute or two allowing the sauce to be absorbed by the pasta.
  • Add 1 tbsp of butter and 1 cup of cheese and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the pasta.
     

Notes

Recipe by Chef Jill Prescott
Pair with Grgich Hills Estate Zinfandel, Napa Valley - Shop here