Description
This easy rigatoni with sausage and kale is wildly delicious. Rigatoni pasta paired with ground sausage and wonderfully sautéed kale meets spices, ample garlic flavor, and mozzarella cheese!
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni pasta
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground sausage
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 generous handfuls of roughly chopped kale
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 (8-ounce) bag shredded mozzarella cheese, about 2 cups
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, cook pasta according to package directions, al dente.
- On a separate burner, in a large pot/dutch oven, heat butter/olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, add in sausage and cook until browned, breaking up meat with wooden spatula; about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and kale. Continue cooking until kale wilts down a bit, about 2-3 min.
- Season mixture with salt/black pepper, to taste, and crush red pepper flakes.
- Drain pasta and add into sausage mixture pot. Pour in broth and cream, and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle in cheese and continue stirring until cheese has melted. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- For baked version: preheat oven to 375°F. Reserve a handful of cheese, about 1/2 cup. Empty pasta into a large baking dish and sprinkle top of pasta with reserved cheese. Bake in the oven for 6-7 minutes until lightly golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.