I made this recipe a little while ago on one of those “use what you’ve got” nights. I had a bunch of kale that needed to be used up, frozen spicy Italian sausages, leftover whipping cream, and a jar of sun-dried tomatoes hanging around.

My daughter was craving pasta but had no interest in a red sauce, so I went with something creamy and hearty instead. The result was this Penne with Spicy Italian Pork Sausage and Kale, and it turned out way better than I expected for a meal made from whatever was on hand. It’s rich, a little spicy, and the kale holds up nicely in the cream sauce without disappearing.

Penne with Spicy Italian Sausage and Kale

(Serves 8–10)

Ingredients

• 2 packages (454 g each) Penne

• 1 value pack Marc Angelo Spicy Italian Pork Sausage (20 sausages), crumbled

• 4 oz sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and chopped

• 10 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and finely chopped

• 2 cups whipping cream

• 1 cup pasta water

• 1 cup shredded Parmesan

• Red pepper flakes (optional)

• Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the penne until al dente. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup of the pasta water and set it aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium. Add the crumbled sausages and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking them up as they brown.

3. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and chopped kale to the skillet. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the sausage is cooked through and the kale has wilted.

4. Pour in the whipping cream and pasta water. Let it come to a light simmer.

5. Add the cooked pasta into the skillet and stir well. Sprinkle in the Parmesan and keep stirring until everything is creamy and well coated.

6. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if you want more heat. Serve warm.

Easy to make, easy to enjoy. Let me know if you try it.