Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Kale

Four ingredients are all you need to prepare this Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Kale for a satisfying weeknight meal. This blend of pasta, meat, and vegetables can be customized to your taste or based on what's in your pantry.

angled view of bowl of pasta with a gold fork

Why You Will Love This

There's nothing more comforting than serving a delicious, hearty meal at the end of a long day, especially on busy weeknights when ease and simplicity are a necessity.

Ease - Just 30 minutes stand between you and this Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale.
Simple - Just four ingredients are needed to create this satisfying dish.
Flavor - This pasta is loaded with flavor in every bite with spicy sausage, hearty kale, and nutty Parmesan.

This pasta is a favorite of mine. Any dish that is big on flavor, easy to prepare, and completely satisfying is a dinner winner!

More quick pasta dishes to try

Cheese Tortellini with Ham and Peas: Ready in just 20 minutes, this comforting dish is a great way to use up leftover ham.
Pesto Pappardelle (Pasta with Pesto and Tomatoes): This pasta tossed with fresh flavors can be ready in 15 minutes.
Easy Ravioli and Sauce: This light, creamy sauce takes only 10 minutes to prepare while the ravioli cooks.

Ingredient Notes

array of ingredients - kale, pasta, sausage, and parmesan

This sausage and kale pasta may be short on ingredients, but it's definitely not short on flavor.

Orecchiette is a small pasta shaped like an ear. Its slightly concave shape is ideal for capturing the sauce and the other bits of yumminess.
Hot Italian sausage is bold and spicy. For less heat, substitute sweet Italian sausage. I prefer using bulk sausage and crumbling it as it cooks so you get sausage in every bite.
Kale is earthy and stands up well against the sausage and pasta. Spinach can also be used.
Parmesan cheese adds a salty, nutty flavor. Pecorino Romano is another tasty option.

How to Buy, Store, and Prep Kale

Kale is a dark, leafy green in the cabbage family. It is known for its high nutritional value, which is due to its high antioxidant, fiber, and vitamin content. Kale can be eaten raw in salads and smoothies or cooked in soups and pasta dishes.

Buying - Look for kale with dark, firm leaves and strong, moist stems. Kale can be found in the refrigerated produce section of your supermarket. Curly kale and lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur or Tuscan kale) are most commonly found in supermarkets.
Storing - Wash the kale after purchasing. Shake off the excess water and wrap it in paper towels. Store in a zipper-top bag, pressing out the excess air before sealing. Store in the produce drawer of your refrigerator for 5-7 days.
Prepping - Kale stems are tough and fibrous. While they are edible when cooked, I prefer to remove the stems before adding kale to recipes. To easily remove the stems, fold the kale leaf in half and run your knife along the stem, separating it from the leaves. Discard the stems and chop the leaves.

Step-by-Step Instructions

See the recipe card for complete instructions and ingredient amounts.

Cook the pasta in well-salted water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1-1½ cups of the pasta water before draining.
Meanwhile, cook and crumble the sausage. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, leaving 1-2 teaspoons of fat in the pan.

cooked and crumbled sausage draining on a paper towel-lined plate.

Add the chopped kale to the pan along with ¼ cup of pasta water. Sauté until wilted, approximately 4-5 minutes.

Add the sausage back to the pan.

Add the pasta, parmesan cheese, and the reserved pasta water, starting with ½ cup, stirring to create the sauce. Add additional pasta water as necessary.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

orecchiette, kale and sausage in a skillet.

Serving ideas

Orecchiette pasta with sausage and kale is hearty enough to be a meal by itself. But, for larger appetites, serve with a green salad and garlic Ciabatta bread.

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Expert Tips

Cook the pasta in well-salted water. It's important to flavor the pasta itself. Add two teaspoons of kosher salt to the pasta water.
Reserve pasta water for the sauce. The pasta water is the base of the sauce. The starch in the pasta water, combined with finely grated Parmesan cheese, creates the perfect sauce for this pasta.
For extra heat, season with red pepper flakes.

Storing and reheating

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. This pasta reheats well. Microwave individual portions until warm throughout. Garnish with extra grated Parmesan.

Recipe FAQs

What pasta shapes can I use?

Orecchiette is a small pasta that resembles elephant ears. Any small or medium pasta can be used, such as farfalle (bow tie), rotini, cavatappi, or fusilli.

What can I substitute for spicy sausage?

If you prefer a milder flavor, sweet Italian sausage is a delicious option. You can also use chicken or turkey sausage.

Do I use uncooked or pre-cooked sausage?

I used uncooked bulk sausage in this recipe. If using uncooked link sausage, remove the casings before cooking. If you have pre-cooked sausage links, slice the links into ½-inch pieces and cook until lightly browned on both sides.

What can I substitute for kale?

Spinach can easily be substituted for kale. Other vegetable substitutions include leeks, asparagus, or broccoli.

fork in a bowl of pasta with another bowl in the background

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