Chicken Sausage, Kale, and Mushroom One Pot Pasta

By Muzungu

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 12 ounces chicken sausage links chicken apple or chicken sage sausages are good here, cut into 1/2-inch thick coins
• 12 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms
• 2 small yellow cooking onions trimmed of both ends, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced
• 4 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 pound shaped dry pasta *See Notes
• 4 cups chopped kale leaves stems and center spines removed
• 3 cups halved fresh cherry tomatoes canned crushed tomatoes, or tomato puree
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley plus more for garnish
• 5 garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus 2 pinches
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preparation

Step 1

In a very large pasta pot or high-sided skillet, raise the heat to medium and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Swirl the pan, and add the sausage coins to the pan. Cook the sausage for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the underside is golden brown, flip the coins and cook another 2 to 3 minutes, or until the second side is also golden brown. Transfer to a separate bowl.

Return the pan to a medium high burner, drizzle in 1 more tablespoon of the olive oil, swirl to coat the pan, then add in the onions followed by mushrooms after a few minutes with a two pinches of kosher salt. Let them rest for 2 minutes before stirring, there may be golden brown edges to the onions and mushrooms. Cook for one more minute, deglaze pan with white wine

then add the chicken stock, pasta, kale, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan and stir. Raise the heat to medium high to bring the mixture to a boil. When it reaches a boil, drop the heat to medium low, stirring and tossing the contents of the pan frequently, stirring the sausage back into the pot after about 8 minutes, cooking until much of the liquid has been absorbed and the pasta is tender. If you find the liquid is evaporating too quickly, you can add more stock or water 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is tender. Remove from the heat and serve, garnished with additional parsley, passing the bowl of Buttery Herbed Bread Crumbs at the table.

Recipe Notes
*Choose a thicker, longer cooking pasta rather than a thin, fine, or quick cooking pasta so that the kale and pasta are done cooking through in about the same amount of time!