Creamy Sausage Kale Rigatoni Pasta
The creamy sauce with wilted kale and flavorful spicy sauce makes this rigatoni incredibly flavorful!
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ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni + 2 cups reserved pasta water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage casings removed
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale roughly chopped, stems removed
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and cook pasta according to directions on the package.
- Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water before draining.
- In a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium high heat, heat oil. Once hot, add onion and cook until softened, about 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add sausage and cook until browned or cooked through, breaking it up into small pieces as you cook it. Reduce heat to medium heat, stirring in red pepper flakes.
- Add wine to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom. Stir in cream and bring mixture to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add kale and lemon zest, cooking until the greens are wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- Add cooked pasta to the Dutch oven, stirring to coat. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water as needed.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese and lemon juice.
- Serve immediately with additional parmesan cheese.