Quick Dinner Recipe: Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale

Faith Durand
Faith DurandSVP of Content
Faith is the SVP of Content at Apartment Therapy Media and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kitchn. She is the author of three cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.
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published Jun 5, 2009
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Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale

Serves4 to 5

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(Image credit: Faith Durand)

You know that our most basic go-to meal is a riff on pasta with meat and greens. It’s such an easy one-dish meal, and so satisfying. Here’s our latest exploration of the theme: a hearty, spicy, and bold pasta that is wonderful after a long day of work in the garden.

(Image credit: Faith Durand)

This is just like our other pasta templates; it’s adaptable to whatever you have around. But the main thing is to really brown the sausage and also to cook the kale well. All those flavors are very bold, and yet this comes together so quickly!

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Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale

Serves 4 to 5

Nutritional Info

Ingredients

  • 1 pound

    orecchiette

  • 3/4 pound

    smoked chorizo or andouille sausage

  • Olive oil

  • About 4 cups kale, mustard greens, or another hearty green, torn into bite-sized shreds

  • 1/2 cup

    chicken broth

  • 1/2 cup

    toasted pine nuts

  • 1 cup

    shredded Parmesan or Pecorino

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling and cook the pasta according to package directions. When tender, drain and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot and set aside.

  2. Meanwhile, slice the sausage on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices. Heat a large sauté pan over medium high heat with a drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until well-browned.

  3. Shove the browned sausage to the side and add the kale. Pour the chicken broth in, cover, and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and tender.

  4. Mix the kale, sausage, pine-nuts, cheese, and reserved 1/2 cup of pasta water into the cooked pasta. Serve!

More pasta, sausage, and greens:
• Dinner Quick: Anelletti Pasta with Sausage and Greens
• Dinner Quick: Pasta with Feta, Broccoli, and Sausage
• Italian Template Recipe: Pasta, Meat, Greens and Cheese

(Images: Faith Durand)

Filed in:
italian
Main Dish
One-Dish Meal
pasta