“But baby, it’s cold outside” … today we were snowed in for most of the day (wahoo!), but I did manage to pick up this week’s CSA box, which included a delicious-looking bunch of kale. This pasta recipe adapted from epicurious used the entire bunch, and we didn’t have to go out and get any of the other ingredients: we had some chicken sausage in the freezer, there’s always leftover pasta, and the tomatoes were also from the CSA box. A super-quick meal, and a change from the recent squash-soup overload!
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Lisa says:

Ooooh yeah, pasta — I’m hungry!

Chris says:

And it’s always nice to have a dinner with a superfood.

Lisa says:

The kitchen certainly smells super…

Chris says:

Wait until you taste it — the pasta’s cooked in the same water that the kale was in, so it imparts some flavor into the fettuccine.

Lisa says:

You’re right — this is really good. I like the cheese, too. Just enough.

Chris says:

Yep, it just gives the dish the tiniest bit of creaminess. We happened to have that on hand, too. I love when we don’t have to go out and buy anything to make dinner.

Lisa says:

I love snow days — we’re usually not even sitting down to dinner for another couple of hours!

Chris says:

I could get used to this…

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Fettuccine with Spicy Chicken Sausage, Kale, and Tomatoes
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lb spicy italian chicken sausage, casings discarded and sausage crumbled
1 bunch kale, tough stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
1 tomato, roughly chopped
1/3 lb whole wheat fettuccine
1/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Asiago plus additional for serving

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add sausage and brown for 5-7 minutes, breaking up lumps with a spoon.
Meanwhile, blanch the kale in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 5 minutes, uncovered. Remove the kale with a large sieve and drain. Return the cooking water to a boil, then add fettuccine and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta in a colander.
While the pasta is cooking, add the kale and tomatoes to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes. Add the broth, stirring and scraping up any brown bits in the skillet. Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the pasta water, tossing until combined well. Stir in the cheese to incorporate, and thin with additional pasta water if desired.

2 Servings