A light pasta dish is filling and easy to throw together quickly. Use flavorful sausage, mild baby kale, pine nuts, and a high quality cheese.
For the following recipe, I used what I had on hand; great garlic lamb sausages from French Hill Farm here in Maine, baby kale, pine nuts, and wonderful authentic parmegiano reggiano cheese. I used orecchiette pasta; orecchiette, or ‘little ears’, originally comes from Puglia, but are now found all over Italy. The classic Italian cookbook, The Silver Spoon, recommends vegetable sauces to accompany orecchiette, so a perfect combination with kale. But I think any good quality pasta will do.
To make the most of the few ingredients, here are four simple tips for making any pasta dish perfect:
1. Be liberal in salting the pasta water. Add salt until the water tastes like the sea, as I was coached in culinary school. It won’t all absorb in the pasta, just enough to flavor it well.
2. Cook just until al dente, and use a good quality dried pasta. We want a nice, somewhat firm texture. Too much cooking, or a low quality dried pasta (or even worse, both) will end up with mushy pasta.
3. Reserve a bit of pasta water to loosen up the sauce. I take a cup full out before draining.
4. Use a high quality cheese, not pre grated ersatz “Parmesan”.
Orecchiette with Sausage, Kale, and Pine Nuts
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4
- Diet: Omnivore
Description
A quick and satisfying pasta dish. Flavorful sausage, tender kale, and crunchy pine nuts make this a weeknight winner.
Ingredients
- 227 g (8 oz) sausage
- 142 g (5 oz) kale
- 1 - 2 cloves garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 454 g (1 lb) dried orecchiette pasta
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 118 ml (1/2 cup) grated parmigiano reggiano or grana padano cheese
Instructions
- In a large sauté pan, cook the sausage over medium-low heat until just done. Remove from heat and cut into small pieces.
- In the same sauté pan, increase the heat to medium, add the kale, and cook until tender. Add the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 more minute. Add the cooked sausage and stir to combine. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Turn off the heat.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt until the pasta water is as salty as seawater. Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Add the cooked orecchiette to the sautéed kale and sausage. Stir to combine, adding some reserved pasta water if desired. Stir in the pine nuts and grated cheese, and season to taste with ground pepper. Serve immediately.
Notes
- For deeper flavor, remove the sausage from its casing before cooking.
- Toasted pine nuts add extra crunch; toast them in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes before adding to the pasta.
- If you don’t have pine nuts, substitute with toasted slivered almonds or walnuts.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stir-Frying
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 600
- Fat: 25
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 60
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 25
- Cholesterol: 80
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of sausage for this recipe?
Yes, you can substitute any flavorful sausage you prefer, such as Italian or spicy sausage, but adjust the seasoning accordingly.
What if I can’t find baby kale for the dish?
If baby kale isn’t available, you can use regular kale or even spinach, but be sure to adjust the cooking time to ensure the greens are tender.
How do I properly toast the pine nuts for this recipe?
Toast the pine nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown and fragrant, which usually takes about 3-5 minutes.
Look so nice. I will try to cook it.