I have a new favorite four –letter word (and a new favorite
food too)! K-A-L-E. I have been using kale in EVERYTHING this week! I just
finished a lovely kale and apple salad, I’ve been drinking green juice with
kale almost every morning, I made kale chips, I’ve incorporated it into my dinners…I’m an all-around
kaleaholic.
We’ll get to all of the delicious items I just listed out
eventually, but today I would like to tell you about the sausage and kale pasta
I made for dinner Monday night (and then lunch on Tuesday AND Wednesday).
Monday was one of those days where I came home from work and
my boyfriend had defrosted meat with no thought of the full “dinner” it would
be a part of; that detail was obviously up to me. The meat of choice on this
particular night was hot Italian sausage. Usually we sauté the meat with green
onions or mozzarella cheese and make Italian sandwiches which is delicious, but
not the healthiest option. Not to mention it would have also required another
trip to the grocery store.
Not wanting to climb
back down the five flights of stairs (I know, I know…LAZY), I decided to
concoct something out of the food in my kitchen. You’ve done this too, I’m
sure. I pulled an inventory of what was in my fridge and decided I couldn’t resist
incorporating kale into the meal. Thus, my sausage and kale pasta was born!
Sausage and Kale Pasta
Ingredients:
- 4 Italian Sausages (casing Removed)
- Olive Oil
- Lemon Juice
- Salt And Pepper, to taste
- Parmesan Cheese
1. In a large saucepan, chop up and sauté sausage until
cooked, and set aside.
1b. At the same time, boil water for pasta, and add the
pasta when water comes to a boil. I like any tube-shaped pasta for this dish. I
went with ziti.
2. In the same pan, add a bit more oil and the garlic, sautéing
until garlic is brown.
3. Add kale and saute about 8 minutes – it will take on the
spicy meaty flavor of the sausage and the garlic – your taste buds are not
ready for this!
3b. Drain pasta when ready (use the time instructions on the
box!)
When kale is finished cooking, add sausage and drained pasta
into pan, sauté for a minute or two, and spritz with lemon. Add salt, pepper
and parmesan cheese if desired and enjoy!
I loved this so much that I sautéed up some extra kale and
packed two days of lunches with the leftovers!
