I’ll be honest, I am not much of a pasta fan. It’s not about taste, it’s a texture thing. Give me pizza, a sandwich, a crunchy salad…. But hold the pasta.

For the handful of times a year that I do indulge in a pasta dish, I also prefer something light, packed with vegetables and perhaps a protein. Hold the alfredo and alla vodka sauce please! 

All that to say, for those of us who could do without the heavy pasta dishes – or are looking for a healthier option to satisfy a love of pasta – this ‘Lightly Creamy’ Sausage Kale Pasta is the real deal. It’s flavorful comfort food but will way less ingredients and at least one vegetable packed in.

A few quick notes on the ingredients. 1) You can use any ground sausage you like really. Pork is delicious but for a midweek meal, I always go for the spicy chicken to keep it leaner. 2) I always have nonfat milk on hand so use that for ease but a milk with higher fat content will improve the texture of the light sauce as it mixes easier with the cheese. 3) You can use pre-shredded cheese but I highly recommend you shred it fresh. This is because packaged shredded cheese has added preservatives to make sure the cheese doesn’t stick together when sitting on the shelf for awhile. When you shred fresh, those preservatives aren’t present, making the cheese much easier to melt, blend, and mix with other ingredients. 4) Any long pasta will do but I highly recommend Trader Joe’s gluten free Tagliatelle. If you see it, grab it. It’s the first GF pasta that Nick has admitted tastes ‘normal.’ Let me preface that I balk at labeling gf pasta as tasting the same because most pasta tastes like the sauce you put on it, not the pasta itself, but the texture of this pasta is spot on. It’s not mushy, it doesn’t stick together, and feels oh so elegant. 

Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch dino kale

3 cloves garlic

1 lb. ground sausage (spicy chicken preferred)

1 package gluten free fettuccine or tagliatelle 

1 cup milk (nonfat, 2%, full, or even cream if you want ‘fully creamy’)

2 cups freshly shredded parmesan cheese

¼ cup fresh basil

1 tbsp. dried oregano, sage

Red chili pepper flakes, salt, pepper to taste

Serving Size: 4

INSTRUCTIONS

• Start by prepping all your ingredients and set aside to combine later –
  • Roughly chop dino kale and mince garlic.
  • Shred parmesan. 
  • Cook sausage in a medium high heat pan until browned, breaking up into chunks as it cooks. 
  • Cook pasta according to package instructions.
• In a new large skillet over medium heat, add minced garlic and a dash of oil. Cook for 1 minute until garlic becomes fragrant, stirring to not burn. 
• Gently pour milk into the skillet with garlic. Add oregano and sage, then bring to a simmer. 
• Slowly mix 1.5 cups of shredded parmesan into the simmering milk, whisking together as not to clump. 
• Add cooked sauce, then kale. 
• Season with salt, pepper, and chili peppers to taste.
• Finally, add cooked pasta. Stirring gently to mix together. 
• Top with fresh basil and the additional ¼ cup of fresh parmesan. Enjoy!