CREAMY KALE AND PASTA WITH SWEET SAUSAGE

Creamy Kale and Pasta with Sweet Sausage image

I came up with this pasta recipe to incorporate kale into our diet. My husband had thirds the first night I made it and he is not a fan of kale (or anything green). Even the kids loved it! Enjoy.

Provided by tcasa

Categories Meat and Poultry Recipes Pork Sausage

Time 35m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

10 ounces gemelli pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
1 tomato, diced
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ bunch kale, thick stems removed, leaves finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ¾ cups milk
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

Steps:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook gemelli at a boil, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add tomato, onion, and garlic; saute for 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze browned bits. Add kale and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted and tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
While kale is cooking, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, and drain pasta. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, for 1 minute. Pour in milk slowly while whisking vigorously to smooth lumps. Season with salt and pepper and continue to cook until mixture begins to bubble and thicken, 7 to 10 minutes. Add reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency as needed. Remove sauce from heat.
Pour sauce into sausage mixture, add drained pasta, and toss to evenly coat. Serve warm topped with Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 458.4 calories, Carbohydrate 45.8 g, Cholesterol 51.5 mg, Fat 23.5 g, Fiber 2.8 g, Protein 17.6 g, SaturatedFat 9.2 g, Sodium 457.2 mg, Sugar 5.9 g