RICOTTA-PESTO PASTA WITH SAUSAGE AND KALE

Ricotta-Pesto Pasta with Sausage and Kale image

Ricotta-pesto pasta with sausage and kale.

Provided by Carly

Categories Pesto Pasta

Time 1h15m

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 13

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Ingredients

cooking spray
1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
1 pound bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, diced
6 large cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup dry white wine
1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 (6 ounce) jar pesto, or more to taste
1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella, divided

Steps:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, for about 9 minutes (pasta will not be fully cooked.) Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Set aside.
While pasta is cooking, place sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove sausage to a paper towel-lined plate and leave grease in the pan.
Add oil to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minutes. Add kale, nutmeg, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook until kale is soft, 5 to 10 more minutes.
Return sausage back to the pan. Add ricotta, pesto, and 6 ounces mozzarella cheese. Add reserved pasta and cooking water. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Pour into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle remaining mozzarella over top. Cover with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 10 more minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 520.7 calories, Carbohydrate 45 g, Cholesterol 52.1 mg, Fat 25.4 g, Fiber 3.2 g, Protein 27.6 g, SaturatedFat 10 g, Sodium 735.8 mg, Sugar 2.8 g