Sausage & Kale Penne

Originally from foodnetwork.ca, the recipe as written calls for turkey sausage and orechiette. We didn't have either, but did have penne and beef sausage (my favourite sausage). The recipe has been adjusted accordingly; in particular, beef sausage, while leaner than pork, is not as lean as turkey and doesn't need the extra ⅓ cup of olive oil. We also don't pre-boil the kale; cooking it with the sausage is sufficient.

Ingredients (for 450g dried pasta)

• 250mL panko
• 15mL olive oil
• 450g beef sausage, casings removed
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 500mL black kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 125mL freshly grated parmesan
• red pepper flakes to taste

Procedure

1. In a pan, over medium-low heat, warm the olive oil.
2. Add the breadcrumbs and stir to coat.
3. Add salt to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until breadcrumbs are toasted and golden brown, ~10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Cook pasta al dente.
5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook sausage and garlic over medium heat, breaking up sausage as you do, ~7 minutes.
6. Add kale and mix in with the sausage until warmed through and starting to soften, 2-3 minutes.
7. Toss pasta with kale-sausage mix and cheese.
8. Serve topped with breadcrumbs (and more cheese if desired).