Spicy Sausage and Kale Fettuccine

This is a quick and easy weeknight pasta dish that’s not boring. I always keep sausage in my freezer so I can just defrost it overnight to use in a dish the next day. The secret to making this dish so flavorful is the addition of chicken broth and pasta cooking liquid towards the end.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb hot Italian sausage, decased
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks
• 1/2 bunch kale
• 1/2 lb fettuccine
• 1/2 c. chicken broth
• 1/2 c. grated parmesan, plus more for serving
• Red pepper flakes (optional)

PREPARATION:

Trim the leeks, using only the white and light green parts. Cut lengthwise, then chop into 1/4-inch half rounds.

Remove the kale leaves from the fibrous ribs, then tear them into bite-sized pieces. Boil a large pot of salted water and blanch the leaves for about 4 minutes. This will maintain that beautiful green color.

Remove the leaves from the hot water with a slotted spoon and immediately shock them in a large bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking. Drain. Don’t dump that pot of boiling water, you’ll use it to cook the pasta later.

Heat oil in a large skillet. When hot, add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spatula, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage to a paper towel to drain.

Cook pasta in that still-boiling pot of water and add some olive oil. Boil according to package directions, about 11 minutes. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat the same skillet in which the sausage was cooked. Add the leeks and cook on medium for about 6 minutes or until they’re tender, stirring periodically. Add the sausage back to the skillet, then add the kale. Cook about 2 minutes. Then stir in the chicken broth and scrape up any brown bits still stuck to the skillet. I like a lot of spice, so I’ll usually add some red pepper flakes at this point, but the spicy sausage might be enough on it’s own for some people.

When pasta is done cooking, add it to the skillet and stir in the reserved cooking liquid. Sprinkle 1/2 cup parmesan over everything and stir to combine.

Season with salt and pepper and serve with freshly grated parmesan.