Fall Kale and Sausage Pasta Bake
This recipe creates a comforting and hearty Fall Kale and Sausage Pasta Bake. Rigatoni is tossed with a rich sauce featuring Italian sausage, tender Tuscan kale, and a blend of ricotta, fontina, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses, then baked until bubbly and golden brown. It's an easy-to-prepare dish perfect for a satisfying meal.
Equipment
- 1 Large Pot For cooking pasta
- 1 Large Dutch Oven or Heavy Saucepan For preparing the sauce
- 1 9x13 inch Baking Dish For baking the pasta
- 1 Colander For draining pasta
- 1 Wooden Spoon For stirring and crumbling sausage
Ingredients
Main
- Nonstick cooking spray for the baking dish
- 1 pound rigatoni
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- Pinch crushed red pepper flakes or more as desired
- 1 pound turkey or pork Italian sausage casings removed
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 bunches Tuscan kale stemmed and roughly chopped
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 pound fresh whole-milk ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated fontina
- 1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler. Spray a 9-by-13-inch ceramic or metal baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until about 2 minutes less than package instructions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups pasta cooking water. Drain and set aside.
- Meanwhile, heat a large Dutch oven or heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat the olive oil in the pan, then add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and starting to brown at the edges, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the garlic is very aromatic, another minute. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling into small chunks with the back of a wooden spoon, until browned all over, 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1 cup pasta water to the pan and scrape up any of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the heavy cream and cook, stirring frequently, until it comes to a simmer. Stir in the kale, then cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the kale is wilted and tender and the heavy cream has thickened, another 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle the nutmeg and about 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper on the kale (taste here, as your sausage might have different seasonings). Remove from the heat and stir in the ricotta until just combined, followed by 1/4 cup each of the fontina and mozzarella. Add the pasta and stir until it is coated in sauce and the cheese starts to melt, adding pasta water if the mixture seems too thick. Taste and season with a little more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and top it with the remaining 1/4 cup fontina, 1/4 cup mozzarella and the Parmesan. Broil the pasta until the cheese is brown and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
1. Pasta Perfection: Cook the rigatoni truly al dente—2 minutes shy of the package directions is crucial. It will continue cooking in the sauce and then in the oven, ensuring a perfect bite without becoming mushy.2. Flavor Foundation: Properly browning the sausage is key to depth of flavor. Don't rush this step. Deglazing with pasta water helps incorporate all the flavorful browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan into your sauce, adding richness.3. Kale Integration: Tuscan kale holds up well to cooking and adds a lovely bitterness that balances the creamy richness. Ensure it's fully wilted and tender before incorporating the cheeses.4. Broiler Finish: Keep a close eye on the pasta when broiling. Broilers can vary greatly in intensity, and cheese can go from perfectly golden to burnt in seconds. The goal is bubbling, golden-brown perfection, not char.5. Seasoning Strategy: Taste frequently as you build the sauce. Sausage can vary widely in sodium and spice levels, so adjust salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes accordingly, especially after adding the cheeses.