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Kale Pesto & Sausage Pasta

This kale pesto is simply delicious. Fresh al dente pasta coated with creamy, garlicky kale pesto, tossed with chunks of savory sausage couldn't get any better! Eating your veggies has never been more delightful. One day I'll be using this recipe to trick my kids into eating and loving kale, they won't even have to know!
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb sweet Italian sausage crumbled
  • 1 bunch Tuscan kale
  • 1 handful fresh basil
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 1 lb pasta of your choice

Method
 

  1. In a large pan over medium heat, cook sausages thoroughly, crumbling as it cooks 15 - 20 minutes. (see notes)
  2. While the sausage cooks, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Wash your kale thoroughly, submerge kale in boiling water and blanch for 1 minute. Remove kale from water, bring pot back to a boil, and add your pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions.
  3. Remove stems and combine kale in blender with oil, garlic, basil, and parmesan cheese. Blend until smooth, if you need more liquid, add 1 Tbsp pasta water at a time until smooth.
  4. Mix pesto, cooked pasta, and sausages and serve immediately with some extra parmesan cheese on top.

Notes

  • For the sausages: make sure you remove the casing prior to dropping it into the pan, typically I remove the casing, and then crumble it with my hands. Then as it cooks I continue to break it up with the spoon, until it's small enough for the pasta (think bite sizes pieces.) 
  • I've also tried this recipe without the sausages and it's just as good, so if you adhere to a strict vegetarian diet, you can enjoy this dinner just exclude the sausages.