Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage
Easy, simple, tasty Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage with kale in a light cream sauce topped off with a buttery, crispy topping! This 30-minute meal will be your weeknight go-to dinner recipe!
Servings:4 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces orecchiette pasta
- 16 ounces ground Italian sausage
- 2 cups fresh kale, chopped, may substitute spinach
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ⅓ cup shaved parmesan cheese
Crispy Topping
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Cook pasta, drain and set aside. While pasta is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons in a large skillet. Stir in the panko breadcrumbs and garlic powder and give it a good stir for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a dish and set aside.
- In the same skillet you used for the breadcrumbs, brown the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking into crumbles as it cooks. Use a slotted spoon to transfer sausage to a plate and cover to keep warm. *Leave the sausage oil in the skillet.
- Add garlic into the the pan and stir over medium heat for 1 minute til fragrant. Stir in red pepper flakes.
- Stir in broth, cream, and dijon for 2-5 minutes until reduced by half and thickened slightly. Stir in kale for 2-3 minutes til wilted.
- Stir pasta and parmesan til parmesan is melted, then stir in sausage.
- Season generously with salt and pepper (to tase), top with additional parmesan and toasted breadcrumbs. Enjoy!
Notes
Parmesan: use freshly grated/shaved parmesan, not pre-shredded as it doesn't melt and incorporate as well as fresh.
Kale: feel free to swap out the kale for fresh spinach instead.
Leftovers: This orecchiette pasta recipe will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge. Or you can freeze it for up to 5 months.
Add-ins: I also like to sometimes add halved cherry tomatoes into this dish for some added color and nutrition.
Vegetarian: For a vegetarian version of this orecchiette pasta with sausage, you can add instead a can of drained white beans (navy or cannellini). It will still be just as delicious!
Nutrition
Calories: 813 kcal, Carbohydrates: 73 g, Protein: 34 g, Fat: 42 g, Saturated Fat: 16 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16 g, Trans Fat: 1 g, Cholesterol: 111 mg, Sodium: 1652 mg, Potassium: 661 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 3839 IU, Vitamin C: 33 mg, Calcium: 254 mg, Iron: 3 mg