Description
Sick of the same old pasta sauce? Try this trick: pureed cannellini beans create a creamy coating for noodles, sausage, and kale.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 pound ground mild Italian sausage
- 2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups packed chopped fresh kale
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Just before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the sausage and season it with 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onions, garlic, beans, sage, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the remaining teaspoon of salt, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Saute until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, scraping to remove any brown bits from the bottom.
- Transfer half of the bean and stock mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Return the sausage to the pan along with the cooked pasta, kale, and 1/4 cup of the parmesan. Toss, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water at a time, until the kale is wilted and the sauce clings to the pasta. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
- Divide the pasta among plates and garnish with the remaining olive oil, parmesan, and parsley.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: kale, white bean, pasta, sausage, Italian