Orecchiette Sausage Pasta in Creamy Tomato Sauce
A comforting and flavorful dish combining orecchiette pasta, savory Italian sausage, and a creamy tomato sauce, with added nutrition from kale.
Ingredients
Pasta and Greens
- 400 g orecchiette pasta or other pasta
- 3 cups kale leaves, torn or baby spinach, Swiss chard, Tuscan kale, etc.
Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 500 g Italian pork sausages, meat squeezed out
- 1/4 cup white wine or sub with water
- 1 cup tomato passata called 'tomato puree' in the US
- 3/4 cup cream (heavy/thickened)
- 3/4 cup milk any fat percentage
- 1/3 cup parmesan, finely grated
- 1 tsp Italian herbs
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes chili flakes
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
Cooking the Pasta
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions minus 1 minute.
- Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set aside.
Making the Sauce
- Heat oil in a very large skillet over high heat. Add garlic and cook for 15 seconds.
- Add sausage meat and cook, breaking it up as you go, until there are some golden bits, about 4 minutes.
- Add wine and cook, scraping the bottom of the skillet to remove the golden bits, and allow wine to evaporate.
- Add remaining ingredients except kale. Stir well, bring to a simmer, then turn the stove down to low and simmer gently for 2 minutes to blend all the flavors.
Combining Pasta and Sauce
- Add pasta and kale. Toss well for 1 minute to coat pasta with the sauce.
- If it gets too thick, use the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it up.
- Serve immediately, garnished with freshly grated parmesan.
Notes
Serve with extra grated parmesan cheese and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add a splash of milk or broth when reheating to restore creaminess.