Sausage, Kale and Pasta Bake
Don’t you love when a recipe calls for a bunch of something? Next time you are making a kale salad and you have a few cups left over this recipe will make a very filling meal.
Ingredients
- 9 oz Field Roast brand Italian sausage (3 links), finely diced (see variations)
- 2 T Olive Oil, divided
- 1 C Yellow Onion, diced (150 g) hgv`
- 2-4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
- 1 t Dried Sage
- 1 t Dried Oregano
- 1 t Dried Basil
- 1 Bunch Kale washed thoroughly and roughly chopped (see variations)
- 1 Can Diced Tomatoes (28 oz)
- 1 lb Rigatoni, dried
- 15 oz Ricotta Cheese (16 oz if sold that way)
- ½ C Freshly Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, divided
- 8 oz Mozzarella, shredded and divided
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Kosher Salt
Instructions
- 1 Preheat Oven To 375 Degrees: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- 2 Brown The Sausage In 1 T: Brown the sausage in 1 T olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, about 6-8 minutes.
- 3 Set Aside The Sausage To Cool: Set aside the sausage to cool slightly.
- 4 Begin Preparing The Pasta According To: Begin preparing the pasta according to package directions, with at least 1T salt, until al dente.
- 5 Drain And Return To Pot When: Drain and return to pot when done.
- 6 Meanwhile, Saute The Onion And Garlic: Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in 1 T olive oil, over medium-low heat until softened.
- 7 Add The Kale, Tomato, Dried Species: Add the kale, tomato, dried species, and then season to taste. Cover loosely until the kale is soft, about 8 minutes.
- 8 Combine The Ricotta, Half Of Each: Combine the ricotta, half of each of the parmesan and mozzarella, and the sausage in a bowl.
- 9 Combine The Vegetable And Sausage/Cheese: Combine the vegetable and sausage/cheese mixture with the pasta. Season to taste.
- 10 Place The Mixture Into A 9”X13”: Place the mixture into a 9”x13” large casserole. Top with remaining cheese.
- 11 Bake At 375 Degrees For 25: Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes.
Pro Tips & Delicious Variations
- This vegan “grain meat” sausage is found at well-stocked markets, such as Whole Foods. Substitute only if you cannot find it.
- You can use all 4 sausage links if you are cooking for meat eaters; vegetarians tend to find it ‘too meaty’.
- To dice the sausage, remove the plastic casing, slice the sausage in half along the length, then slice each half into 4-5 strips, then dice.
- A bunch of kale should come out to about 4 cups roughly chopped (remove the part of the stem that has no leaf). Add more or less to this recipe as you like.
- Garlic and kale are great friends - add more garlic if you add more kale.
- Toss leftover raw kale with tahini dressing and serve as a 4-5 bite mini-salad that sets the stage for the baked pasta.
- Author Note: blitz tofu/lemon/pine nuts/nutritional yeast/salt together to make a vegan replacement for the ricotta and parmesan mixture.