Whole Wheat Penne with Sausage, Cannellini, and Kale

By TaratheFoodie

Healthy, delicious pasta perfect for a weeknight meal.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. whole wheat penne pasta
• light olive oil
• 1 lb. bulk italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup chicken broth
• salt
• pepper
• red pepper flake
• 1 bunch of kale
• 2 cans cannellini beans
• 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• extra virgin olive oil to finish the dish

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from tarathefoodie.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

Start by boiling some salted water and cooking 1 lb. of whole wheat penne according to the box directions. When the pasta is done, reserve some of the pasta water and set the pasta aside to be added to the dish later.

While the pasta is boiling, brown up some sausage in a little olive oil. Once the sausage has browned, transfer it to a bowl and set aside.

Next, add a little more olive oil to the pan and throw in the chopped onions. Saute on medium heat for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Use your wooden spoon to scrape up the brown sausage bits as the onions cook to incorporate all that flavor.

After the onions are tender, pour in about a cup of chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Again, use your wooden spoon to scrape up all the brown bits and stir up the mixture.

Simmer the onion mixture for just a couple minutes - the liquid will reduce by about half.

While the onions are simmering, chop off the stems at the end of the stalks of kale, then chop the kale up into about 2x2" squares. Rinse off the kale in a collinder, then add it to the onion mixture.

Season the onion/kale mixture with fresh ground sea salt and black pepper, along with a pinch of red pepper flake. If you like it spicy, add a bigger pinch. If you're not sure, be conservative... you can always add more at the end or when it's served. Stir up the mixture, set the heat to low and cover for a few minutes until the kale is wilted.

After the kale is wilted, take the cover off and add the sausage back to the pan, along with 2 cans of cannellini beans. Stir to combine.

Add the cooked pasta and two small ladels of the pasta water.

Stir again, then sprinkle 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese all over the pasta, then hit it with some extra virgin olive oil. Turn off the heat and cover the pan until you're ready to serve. You can add the rest of the parmesan cheese to the pasta when served.