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Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Kale

Rustichella D’ Abruzzo Orecchiette Pasta 8.8oz $7.95 (SALE) $6.95

Oh! How I have missed this brand of rustic pasta with a perfect balance of soft, chewy, and slightly earthy flavor. Orecchiette is perfect for heartier winter pasta dishes, like the one below! This pasta's name comes from "orecchia" (meaning "ear" in Italian) because the shape resembles an ear. Why not grab the pestos too for a super quick pasta dinner! Any leftover pestos are great on a baguette or cracker.

Orecchiette with Butternut Squash, Sausage & Kale

Recipe adapted from 

Super Tuscan  by Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos.

You can play this one by ear! Sub out ground chicken or turkey for the sausage or maybe shrimp! Sub out spinach or Swiss chard for the kale and any variety of squash for the butternut.

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking sheet and serving

• 1 small butternut squash (about 1-1.5 pounds)

• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 8 ounces sweet or spicy Italian sausage, about 2 links, casings removed

• Two 3-inch sprigs fresh rosemary

• 1 medium red onion, chopped

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1 sprinkle red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

• One 7-ounce bunch kale, the big stuff, kale lacinato or dinosaur . Remove tough stems discarded and leaves coarsely chopped

• 1 pound orecchiette pastai

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (don’t use the pre-grated zero flavor stuff, actually the best I’ve found in the grocery store is SarVecchio brand.)

SERVINGS: 4 TO 6

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a large rimmed baking sheet.

Peel and seed the squash. Cut the flesh into 1 ∕2-inch cubes.

Toss the squash and 2 tablespoons of the oil on the prepared baking sheet. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Bake, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender and tinged with brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Keep warm in a turned-off oven with the oven door ajar.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and rosemary and red pepper flakes, cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat about 6 minutes. Move the sausage and rosemary to one side of the skillet. Add the onion and garlic to the opposite side of the skillet and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring just the onion mixture occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Mix the ingredients together and continue cooking to blend the flavors, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high, stir in the wine, and bring it to a boil. Discard the rosemary sprigs. Stir in the kale and return the heat to medium low. Cook until the kale is just tender, about 3-5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the squash and cover to keep warm.

While the sausage mixture is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orecchiette and cook, according to the package directions, until al dente. Scoop out and reserve about 1∕2 cup of the cooking water. Drain the pasta well and return to the cooking pot.

Add the sausage mixture and parmesan to the  pasta and mix well, adding enough of the reserved cooking water to make a light sauce. Spoon into individual bowls, top with a drizzle of oil, and serve, with additional cheese on the side.