Pasta with Italian Sausage, Sauteed Kale and Mushrooms
Also tossed with sweet onions and a topping of Grana-style cheese, this pasta is incredibly satisfying.
Ingredients:
1 pound strozzapreti pasta, or other pasta of your choice
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 bunch Lacinato kale, stripped of tough ribs and torn into large pieces
2 cups Portobello mushrooms, washed and thinly sliced
1 sweet onion, peeled and diced
3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons butter, divided
¼ cup Grana-style cheese, grated
Method:
1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook until the strozzapreti is al dente, about 7-8 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain pasta.
2. Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a skillet over medium heat until done, breaking into bite-sized chunks with a spoon. Remove the sausage to a plate and reserve. Wipe any excess sausage grease from the pan and then heat 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter in the skillet. Once warm, add the onions, mushroom and garlic, tossing to coat with oil and butter. Season with salt and pepper, then cover and sweat until mushrooms are tender and garlic is fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Add in kale and cook until just slightly wilted, about another minute or so.
3. Add drained pasta and sausage to the skillet with the vegetables, then toss everything together with the rest of the olive oil and butter. If pasta seems a little dry, mix in reserved pasta water. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with Grana-style cheese to sprinkle over pasta.
Fall in Abundance Recipes
This week marks the return of a cherished Northwest delicacy: fresh Porcini mushrooms locally-foraged from our area forests. Earthy and woodsy, these meaty mushrooms define fall eating, acting as a wonderful compliment to seasonal favorites like soup, risotto and wild rice pilaf. Enjoy our favorite version of the latter this week, served alongside a beautiful salad topped with pears, blue cheese and hazelnuts, plus a medium-bodied Italian red wine, warm garlic bread with Porcini compound butter and an abundance of produce.
Here are a few recipe ideas for the week:
Wild Rice Pilaf with Sautéed Porcini Mushrooms
This hearty, robust dish is excellent warm or made ahead and served at room temperature.
Blue Cheese-Stuffed Roasted Pears with Arugula
Roasted and topped with cranberries, hazelnuts and blue cheese, these pears from the Barefoot Contessa are incredibly flavorful.
Roasted Romanesco Broccoli & Poblano Peppers
This dish boasts wonderful depth of flavor thanks to a splash of sherry vinegar and a dash of chili flakes.