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A plate of rigatoni pasta with smoked sausage, kale, red pepper and walnut crumble.
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Smoked Sausage & Kale Pasta with Walnut Crumble

Smoked sausage and kale with parmesan, garlic, red pepper, chili flakes and a beautiful walnut crumble come together to make a pasta dish that's light but still full of flavor.
Course Pasta
Cuisine Fusion
Keyword Kale, pasta, sausage, walnuts
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 623kcal

Ingredients

  • 2.5 cups dry pasta about half a 500 gram / 10 oz package
  • 2.5 cups kale diced
  • ⅔ cup walnuts crumbled
  • 1 cup smoked sausage
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese grated
  • 1 red pepper finely diced
  • 3 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1.5 cups pasta water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil for cooking, plus or minus
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil for finishing, plus or minus

Instructions

  • Boil the pasta to al dente (slightly undercooked) according to package directions. Do a bite test to see if it's slightly undercooked.
  • While the pasta is boiling, dice up the sauce ingredients. Roughly cut the sausage and kale; finely dice the red pepper; crumble the walnuts; mince the garlic; and grate the parmesan if it's not pre-grated.
  • Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, walnuts chili flakes and garlic and sauté until the fat renders out of the sausage. If the sausage is lean, add a tablespoon of oil (or more if things are sticking). Pro tip: reserve some of the walnuts for garnish, and some of the garlic for adding near the end of cooking (to layer the flavor)
  • Once the garlic, nuts and sausage are aromatic and slightly browned, add the red pepper and kale. Sauté until they are soft and reduced in volume.
  • Use a spider strainer or slotted spoon to add the pasta to the skillet, reserving at least 1.5 cups of the pasta water.
  • Add the parmesan cheese to the skillet along with 1 cup pasta water. Any reserved garlic can also be added now. Stir continuously until the cheese melts into the pasta water and thickens into a sauce (3-4 minutes).
  • If the pasta is not saucy enough, add half a cup more pasta water and continue stirring until it thickens.
  • Taste to see if the pasta is sufficiently cooked and if any salt is needed.

Notes

Please note the nutritional information may vary depending on the type of sausage used.