Sausage and Kale Rigatoni

The “sauce” for this one is more of a gloss…which in my opinion is the BEST kind of pasta sauce. Butter + reduced broth and white wine mixed with the flavorful juices from the sausage. Also, the kale gets super soft while it cooks in the broth/wine and it’s probably the best tasting version of kale I’ve ever had!!

What you need:

• 1/2 lb (usually 1/2 box) rigatoni
• 2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1/2 lb ground spicy Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 handfuls finely chopped kale (about 1 cup, I used lacinato kale)
• 4-6 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese for topping

What to do:

1. Bring a large pot of  salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to packaging instructions.
2. Brown the spicy Italian sausage in the EVOO in a skillet on medium heat.
3. Add the onion, kale, garlic and red pepper flakes in that same skillet and cook until fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic, if it starts to turn brown the heat is too high/you should start the next step ASAP.
4. Pour the broth and white wine into I usually turn the heat up to med-high here in order to let the liquid aggressively simmer and reduce into a glossy sauce. 
5. Once the liquid has mostly evaporated, it's ready for the pasta, butter and pasta water. Turn the heat to low-medium and add the pasta to the sauce - slowly mix in the butter slices and reserved pasta water to take the glossy factor to another LEVEL you might not have known to exist. Season with salt and pepper here too.
6. Top with parm, more red pepper flakes and more black pepper.