Kale and Sausage Pasta and White Wine Sauce

Ingredients

• 12 ounces pasta, such as penne or rigatoni
• 1 pound Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 5 cups kale, stemmed and chopped
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.

   10:00 · Boil pasta
2. 2

   While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into crumbles with a spoon, and cook until browned, 6 to 8 minutes.

   6:00 · Brown sausage
3. 3

   Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes.

   4:00 · Cook onion
4. 4

   Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   1:00 · Cook garlic
5. 5

   Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes.

   3:00 · Reduce wine
6. 6

   Stir in the heavy cream and chicken broth and bring to a gentle simmer.

   2:00 · Simmer sauce
7. 7

   Add the kale in batches, stirring until wilted, about 4 minutes.

   4:00 · Wilt kale
8. 8

   Reduce heat to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese, salt, and black pepper until the cheese melts into the sauce.

9. 9

   Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time to loosen the sauce as needed.

10. 10

    Stir in the lemon juice, taste, and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan if desired.