Sausage and Kale Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 1 box Rigatoni Noodles
- 2-4 Italian Chicken Sausage or Turkey Sausage
- 1/2 shallot minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup Tomato Basil Marinara optional
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cup chopped kale
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp Tony's seasoning optional
- 1/4 tsp fennel seeds *see notes*
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- salt & pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese + more for topping
- 1/3 cup pasta water to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot bring salted water to a boil and cook noodles al dente, about 8-9 minutes.
- In a hot skillet over medium heat, add in olive oil and the sausage links. Break down until its individual pieces. 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.
If you use mild ground turkey, to give it that turkey sausage flavor I like to add a little bit of fennel seeds.