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This creamy Sausage and Kale Rigatoni is so delicious. It’s spicy. creamy. garlicky! all the good things we love in a pasta.

As a toddler mom, I know the importance of an easy meal. Easy meals are very necessary. Most days I’m so tired by dinner time. Pasta is my lazy go-to. Literally throw a protein, some veggies, make a sauce pour it over/ mix with some pasta and boom. Dinner is ready! I’m definitely going to be sharing a lot more easy, lazy meals to the blog. Because I be tireddd. and I know I’m not the only one. haha

The sweet and spiciness of the Italian sausage paired with thick kale leaves were a great combination. Hearty and delicious. This was my first time making a pasta with kale and I’m not mad at it at all. Spinach is my usual leafy green of choice. buttt it’s good to switch it up from time to time.

With fall right around the corner I feel inspired to experiment with alll the seasonal vegetables and fruits.

Anywho enough of the intro. Let’s get into this recipe. after all… that’s why you’re here.

What you’ll need

Italian sausage– the star of the show. I used Italian chicken sausage. but you can use turkey, pork whatever you’d like. I removed the casing and chopped it up to give more of a ground sausage vibe. the sweet and spicy of the sausage really carried the pasta.
Kale- kale is such a strong leafy green. I love it in a lot of soups. made a great addition to the pasta.
Rigatoni- this has been a house favorite lately. large noodles that soak up the delicious cream sauce
Heavy cream- y’all know heavy cream is a kitchen essential over here. You can literally make EVERYTHING with it.
Tomato/ Basil Marinara Sauce– you can also use tomato paste. Marinara sauce just added a nice flavor and color to the cream sauce.
Garlic and shallots- Love a good shallot and garlic combo.

Sausage and Kale Rigatoni

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 box Rigatoni Noodles
  • 2-4 Italian Chicken Sausage Links casing removed
  • 1/2 shallot thinly diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup Tomato Basil Marinara
  • 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
  • 1 1/2 cup chopped kale
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • salt & pepper
  • 1/3 cup pasta water to taste
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese + more for topping
  • 1 tsp Tony's seasoning optional

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and cook noodles according to box.
  • In a hot skillet over medium heat, add in olive oil and sausage links. Break down until it looks like ground meat. Add in diced shallots and garlic and sautè for about 5 minutes.
  • Add in heavy cream and marinara sauce and bring to a low simmer. Add in onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, black pepper and Italian seasoning. Mix until well combined. Add in some pasta water, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese.
  • Add in cherry tomatoes and kale and cover. Allow to cook on low-medium for about 5-6 minutes. Add in noodles and mix until well combined.
  • Reduce heat to low, add in 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese, season with additional seasonings if needed and mix again until the cheese is nice and melted.
  • Serve in a bowl and top with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes and enjoy.

Notes

Feel free to double the recipe if you’re feeding more people. 
Keyword Dinner Idea, Easy Recipes

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