Every time Janna and her gang visit us, they bring a scrumptious dinner. Apparently, this is part of the secret as to why they’re always welcome wherever they travel. Now, Mike D. sure can cook, but Jan’s hubbie Anwar is a close rival. Here’s what he brought for dinner last weekend. And, oh, was it easy to make and good.
ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lb medium or spicy turkey or pork sausage, casings discarded and
sausage crumbled - 1/2 lb kale, tough stems and center ribs discarded and
leaves coarsely chopped - 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 lb dried egg noodles or fettuccine
- 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup grated pecorino-romano or mozzarella cheese
preparation:
Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook sausage, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain grease.
Meanwhile, blanch kale in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, 3-5 minutes. Remove kale
with a large sieve and drain. Return cooking water in pot to a boil, then cook pasta in boiling water, uncovered, until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander.
While pasta cooks, add kale and garlic to sausage in skillet and sauté, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, then add pasta and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water to skillet, tossing until combined. Stir in 3/4 cup cheese and thin with additional cooking water if desired. Squeeze fresh lemon over dish, with dash of salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately, with 1/4 cup cheese on the side.
adapted (just slightly) from recipe at Epicurious.
photo by Romulo Yanes
