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A quick and easy weeknight dinner that combines hearty rigatoni pasta, flavorful turkey sausage, and nutritious kale, ready in under 30 minutes. This dish is comforting yet simple, perfect for cozy nights in.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups uncooked rigatoni
  • 8 oz uncooked turkey sausage (any kind)
  • 3 cups uncooked kale, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 cup canned chicken broth
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp table salt
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano recommended)

Instructions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni according to package directions, slightly less than al dente if finishing in the skillet.
  2. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water before draining the rigatoni; then drain and set pasta aside.
  3. Remove the sausage from its casing.
  4. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it browns, about 3 minutes.
  5. If the sausage releases excess grease, spoon out some before adding the greens.
  6. Add chopped kale to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted, about 3–5 minutes.
  7. Pour chicken broth into the skillet and scrape up browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon; season with salt and pepper.
  8. Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until the kale is tender, about 5–10 minutes.
  9. Stir the cooked rigatoni into the skillet and heat through, adding reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
  10. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
  11. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese per serving off the heat before serving.

Notes

Remove sausage casing and break meat into small bits for even browning., Deglaze the pan with chicken broth to incorporate flavorful browned bits., Cook pasta slightly less than al dente to finish cooking in skillet with sauce., Reserve pasta water to loosen sauce if needed., Taste before adding salt, as sausage and broth may be salty., Avoid overcooking kale to retain tender texture with a bite., If sausage is greasy, remove excess before adding kale for a lighter dish., Add Parmesan cheese off heat for a silky melt instead of clumping., Flexible recipe: substitute pasta shape, sausage type, or greens as desired., Try adding heavy cream, beans, mushrooms, or lemon zest for variation., Store leftovers in airtight containers in fridge up to 3-4 days or freeze up to 2 months., Reheat gently with broth or water added to loosen sauce.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookingcrumbs.com/rigatoni-with-sausage-and-kale-recipe-diaries/