italian sausage and kale pasta

Noodles & Pasta

Italian Sausage & Kale Pasta

For a fast weeknight pasta dinner, why not cook your sauce and pasta all at once? When you use the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta instead of draining it, the starch that cooks off into your pasta water stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.

Ingredients

8 ounces whole-wheat rotini or penne
8 ounces italian sausage, casing removed, crumbled
6 cups chopped kale
1 14 ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons pesto
1 ½ teaspoons italian seasoning
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 cups water
finely shredded parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions

Combine pasta, sausage, kale, tomatoes, onion, garlic, pesto, Italian seasoning, salt and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Stir in water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring frequently, until the pasta is cooked and the water has almost evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with Parmesan, if desired.