For a fast weeknight pasta dinner, why not cook your sauce and pasta all at once? By using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta—no colanders here—the starch that cooks off into your pasta water, which you usually drain away, stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.
One-Pot Italian Sausage & Kale Pasta
For a fast weeknight pasta dinner, why not cook your sauce and pasta all at once? By using the exact amount of water you need to cook the pasta—no colanders here—the starch that cooks off into your pasta water, which you usually drain away, stays in the pot, giving you delectably creamy results.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole-wheat rotini or penne
- 8 ounces Italian sausage casing removed, crumbled
- 6 cups chopped kale
- 1 14 ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons pesto
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 4 cups water
- Finely shredded Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions
- Combine pasta, sausage, kale, tomatoes, onion, garlic, pesto, Italian seasoning, salt and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Stir in water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil, stirring frequently, until the pasta is cooked and the water has almost evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Serve garnished with Parmesan, if desired.