Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Kale #ItalianFWT

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Kale is a tasty option next time you are looking for a hearty yet healthy pasta dish. We paired with with a delicious Negroamaro red wine from Puglia as part of the Italian Food, Wine and Travel group virtual visit to the region.

Today the Italian Food, Wine and Travel group (#ItalianFWT) visits Puglia, one of our final stops in our tour of Italy’s 20 wine and food regions. I didn’t have much chance to do advanced research on Puglia’s cuisine. But a quick perusal of some Italian food websites this morning suggests I wasn’t too far off making this Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Kale recipe.

Puglia is easy to find on the map of Italy–it is the heel of the boot in Southern Italy. Fresh vegetables abound in the region. In our our recipe, a bunch of kale simmers with tomatoes as well as the sausage. Tomatoes feature prominently in the cuisine of Puglia, so we were on the right track here.

Seems like there is plenty of pasta enjoyed in Puglia. I used ziti for today’s Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Kale, but you could easily use orecchiette, common in Puglia.

You will find a number of recipes for pasta with sausage and greens here on Cooking Chat. Today’s version is particularly healthy, substituting chicken sausage for traditional  pork sausage. I use an Andouille chicken sausage, packing in some extra flavor. So if you’re craving a hearty pasta dish but want something healthy, give this pasta with chicken sausage and kale a try. The kale simmers for about 20 minutes in a skillet along with tomatoes and the sausage, and then you are ready to scoop it out to toss with the pasta.

Wine Pairing for Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Kale

We picked up a bottle of Luccarelli Negroamaro ($12, 13% ABV), to pair with our ziti with chicken sausage and kale. Negroamaro is one of the most common wine grapes from Puglia, and I got it from the full bodied reds section, so expected it would stand up to our hearty pasta dish.

I was very pleased with this wine for the price, and it paired quite well with our meal. Violet on the nose. Peppery taste, which goes nicely with the sausage, along with cherry fruit. Smooth mouthfeel. Opens up nicely in glass, chocolate on the finish. I managed to have gotten the empty bottle into recycling without noting the vintage. I will happily get another bottle at the store today and update the post with that info!

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Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Kale

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Pasta tossed with chicken sausage, kale and tomatoes for a healthy and hearty pasta dish.

• Author: Cooking Chat
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 6 servings 1x
• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

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• 2 tbsp olive oil plus oil spray to coat pan
• 3 small Andouille chicken sausage
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves chopped
• ⅓ cup dry red wine
• 2 cups diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 lb ziti or other short pasta shape
• salt and pepper to taste
• Parmigiano cheese to pass at table

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Instructions

1. Spray a skillet with oil, and heat on medium high. Add the chicken sausage. Cook for 5 minutes, turning occasional to brown the sausage all over. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. Slice the sausage when it has cooled.
2. Add a tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet, heat on medium. Add the onions, cook for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the garlic, cook for another minutes.
3. Add the kale to the skillet in batches, stirring it to combine with the onions. The gradual addition of the kale gives it time to cook down a bit and make room for more.
4. After the kale has been added, stir in the tomatoes, cooking wine, basil and oregano. Salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, and cover.
5. Begin cooking pasta according to package instructions after adding the kale and tomatoes to the skillet.
6. After the kale has cooked covered for about 10 minutes, stir in the reserved sausage. Simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes or so, until the kale is tender and the pasta has finished cooking.
7. When the pasta is cooked, drain and toss with the kale and sausage mixture. Plate the pasta, and pass cheese for topping at the table. Enjoy with an Italian red wine–perhaps from Puglia!

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Italian Food, Wine and Travel Visit to Puglia

Be sure to check out what all the #ItalianFWT bloggers have to say about food and wine from Puglia: