Sausage Kale Pasta was going to be the name of my blog. When I first started thinking about starting a blog, I was sure I’d hit upon the perfect domain name! Sausage kale pasta is definitely the dinner that James and I make the most frequently, and this little three-word combination is bandied around our kitchen like a tennis ball whenever we’re at a loss for dinner ideas. It is the epitome of a nonfussy, forgiving, foolproof weeknight dinner. You can add more or less of each ingredient you like, you can add other ingredients, it being endlessly customizable, it is a one-pot meal that allows you to incorporate oh so many fresh vegetables, and it can be on the table in 30 minutes, max. Plus, it is DELICIOUS! Come on, friends, go to sausagekalepasta.com for all your weeknight dinner needs!

Then James pointed out some flaws with this plan. Sausage kale pasta doesn’t exactly represent the whole diversity of the weeknight dinners I make (and that diversity is incredible, yeah? Yeah?). Would I tag my Instagram pictures #sausagekalepasta? What if it’s a picture of a fried chicken drumstick? What about the desserts that I love to make? Well, maybe I can abbreviate my Instagram tag to #skp, I suggested. No such luck – inconceivably, #skp already exists and I think it has to do with hair dye. What about #skpkitchen? A bit wordy, and also, maybe a bit too similar to #smittenkitchen, which I adore and dare not cross.

And so, sausagekalepasta.com was abandoned, and the hunt for a new name was on. I wanted the name to be creative, and not tooo on-the-nose (Weeknight Cooking was out. It was probably already taken). Some usual suspects (The Fearless Chef) were already taken; other names that I thought were more unique (Recipe Obsessed) turned out to be not that unique, as they were also snatched up. Some names that I thought were clever were rejected by James (Dine and Dusted – “is that a pun? What’s it a pun on?”; Very Food Motivated – “what does that even mean?”). In the end, James was rooting for The Trials of a Chef – because I try out lots of recipes, but I also undergo quite a trial trying to get dinner on the table when James gets home from his long commute and he can’t think about anything other than how huuuuuunnnngrrryyyyyyyyy he is. I liked the name, but I still thought it was a bit too wordy and maybe a bit too literal? Also, can I call myself a chef?? The next morning, however, I woke up, yelled out “Trial by Fryer!” to James eating breakfast in the kitchen while I was still in bed, and this little project was born.

But even though sausage kale pasta, the domain name, may be retired, sausage kale pasta, the dinner, will never be. Guys – it is so easy. It’s literally sausage, kale, and pasta. Plus some garlic, crushed red pepper, and good olive oil. In the pictures, we’ve added mushrooms, but you don’t have to. If you want it to be more flavorful and interesting, add any of the additions I suggest at the end, or come up with your own! But trust that it will be delicious even if you don’t add anything other than the original ingredients. Feel free to treat this recipe as more of a technique, one that you can modify to your own tastes and really make your own.

And so, I give you – my favorite weeknight dinner, the secret weapon in my arsenal, something I never need a recipe for anymore and neither will you, after you make it once – the humble, the magical, the uplifting, sausage kale pasta.

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Sausage Kale Pasta

Ingredients

• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound Italian sausage, without the casings
• 1-2 bunches kale (This really depends on how you like your pasta. The dish will accommodate 2 bunches for a more vegetable-forward pasta, and 1 bunch for a more sausage-forward pasta)
• 1 pound pasta (I like to use the funnest shapes I can find in the pasta aisle, like campanelle, cellentani, or gemelli)
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• Crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

• Put a big pot of water on to boil, and salt water liberally. When water is boiling, cook the pasta according to directions. Drain, but reserve some pasta cooking water in case the dish is too dry at the end.
• While waiting for the water the boil and the pasta to cook, prep and cook the rest of the dish. Wash the kale, rinsing under cold running water. Remove tough stems and tear or cut the kale into chunks about half the size of your palm.
• Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a very large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the sausage and break it apart into bite-size pieces with chopsticks or a wooden spatula. Add crushed red pepper flakes and continue cooking until sausage is browned and mostly cooked through, with just a tiny hint of pink in the middle. This will take 5-7 minutes.
• Add the kale into the skillet and season with a few dashes of salt and generous black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the kale wilts, about 5 minutes. If you have way too much kale for your pan, as I always do, don’t fret. Just pile in as much as you can, and continue stirring and rotating. When the kale in the pan starts to cook down, add the rest of the kale and continue stirring to distribute.
• When the kale is wilted and soft, and the sausage is completely cooked through, add the cooked and drained pasta, stirring in some pasta water if the dish looks too dry. Toss everything together, cooking for about another minute or two.

Notes

Optional Add-Ins:

Protein:

Pancetta - Cook together with the sausage, or substitute pancetta for sausage. Pancetta is fattier and saltier than sausage, so I usually use about 8 ounces of pancetta if I’m substituting entirely.

Chicken - This dish really works best with sausage, because that’s what provides most of the fat and flavor. However, I have made it with chicken before. In this case, dice up 1 pound of chicken breast or chicken thighs, and cook in place of the sausage. While cooking, season liberally with salt, pepper, and whatever spices you have in your cabinet. I like using cumin, chili powder, coriander, onion powder, and white pepper. Add some generous splashes of these spices while you’re cooking the chicken, and be liberal with the olive oil!

Vegetables:

Onion - I almost always add an onion now, although when I started this recipe I never used to. I think it adds a depth of flavor and is an incredibly easy step. Chop one onion and add it to the olive oil with the garlic. Cook until the onion starts becoming translucent, about 3, then add the sausage meat.

Mushrooms - You can see in the pictures we've added mushrooms here. I use about 8 ounces of sliced mushrooms (use your favorite variety; this dish can also accommodate more if you really like mushrooms). Add the mushrooms to the cooking sausage after the sausage is just starting to brown, after about 3 minutes.

Spinach - Add a few handfuls of spinach along with the kale. Alternatively, you can substitute spinach for kale.

Aromatics:

Garlic powder, chili powder, white pepper - Add them to the cooking meat, the cooking kale, or the final product!

Herbs: parsley, oregano - Add at the end when you’re tossing the dish together.

Sauces - Stir in some tomato sauce or fresh cream when tossing all the ingredients together.

 

Can I tell you a secret? I am shocked by how many variations of pan-seared or baked salmon there are out there – salmon is so easy to cook. Who are these people who are like, let’s make it harder by adding a mustard white wine sauce, a honey glaze, a pecan maple crust? I kid, somewhat – I know these enhancements are likely delicious, but when I think salmon, I think dinner-on-the-table-in-20 minutes. James and I eat bare, unadorned seared salmon, seasoned with only salt and pepper, sometimes with a splash of lemon, probably twice a month or so. We don’t even buy any special salmon – just whatever is in the seafood counter at our local supermarket, and after sizzling in some olive oil, it is absolutely delicious.

As a side note, I know some people get nervous about cooking fish, but I find searing salmon much more relaxing than steak (one minute too long = tough!! unchewable! Ahh!!) or chicken (too little fat = more likely to stick and burn). I buy regular farm-raised salmon, and – environmental and ethical quandaries of aquaculture aside (ugh, why can’t we have nice things…) – it is really quite a forgiving fish due to its high fat content. Even if you overcook it a bit, it still has good flavor and won’t get tough and chewy like steak tends to. If you remain unconvinced, however, here is more information than I can ever provide on searing salmon. One important tip is to get salmon with the skin on – it will insulate the fish while it’s cooking so the meat doesn’t get tough, and is also just delicious (like the texture of crispy chicken skin) when seared properly. Yum!

In the same vein, I’d also like to extol the virtues of storebought pesto. No, it will not be better than the homemade variety with fresh basil. But it also doesn’t take 20 minutes and / or a food processor to make, and it will still be delicious for a weeknight dinner! Especially if you splurge out and can buy fresh pasta – you won’t even notice you’re using store pesto. I always have dried pasta in my pantry, and whenever I’m looking for an easy carb side, I pick up some pesto. I try to look for one that has basil as the primary ingredient, as opposed to canola or sunflower oil. You can also always punch up the flavor by adding some chopped fresh basil.

And, because no dinner is complete without vegetables (one of my dinner MUSTS. I NEED vegetables), nothing beats simple sautéed kale. This time, James tossed in some GINGER in addition to the garlic we normally use. Not lying – I was doubtful, and afraid that the ginger would overpower the kale. However, the sweetness of the kale played off the ginger beautifully, and the ginger really elevated the dish from boring kale to absolutely transcendent, transformed kale! I have a feeling I’m going to do a post dedicated to ginger and all the things we’ve been adding it to…

So there you have it. Easy salmon + easy pasta + easy vegetable = filling, nutritious, healthy dinner. Why make life harder than it has to be?

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Pan-Seared Salmon with Pesto Pasta and Gingery Sautéed Kale

Ingredients

For the Salmon

• Salmon fillets with skin that are about 6-8 ounces each (however many servings you want, just make sure they are all about the same size)
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil

For easy storebought pesto pasta

• Pasta, either dried or fresh
• Storebought pesto

For gingery sautéed kale

• 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped ginger
• 1 bunch kale
• Salt and black pepper
• Olive or canola oil

Instructions

• Put a large pot of water on to boil for the pasta. Salt water liberally - at least a tablespoon or more of salt.

  For dried pasta: most dried varieties cook in about 10-13 minutes, so I recommend you wait for the water to boil and put the pasta in to cook just before you start cooking the salmon. Make sure you give the pasta a stir every once in a while, though, especially at the beginning of cooking, so that it doesn’t all stick together.

  For fresh pasta: this cooks much quicker, so if using fresh pasta, I actually recommend you finish cooking the salmon and the kale before cooking the pasta. The salmon will be fine resting a bit, and the kale will still stay warm through the quick pasta cooking time.
• Food Prep. Prep the kale, washing the leaves and discarding the tough, hardy stems. Tear leaves with your fingers into large pieces about the size of your palm, or roughly chop with a knife. Cut salmon into equally-sized fillets of about 6-8 ounces each, if necessary. Pat salmon fillets dry with a paper towel – dry salmon sears better than wet salmon, and is also less prone to sticking to the pan. Season with salt and black pepper on the side without skin.
• When pasta water has boiled, add pasta. Continue to boil the pasta, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn't stick.
• Cook the salmon. Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, put in the salmon fillets, skin side down. Try not to crowd them to get a good sear. Cook for 6-7 minutes. Don’t move the salmon once you’ve put it down! Pushing it about risks tearing the flesh and interfering with that nice sear you want. The salmon will be ready to flip once the flesh on the side turns from a fleshy pink to a lighter, opaque white about ¾ of the way up the sides of the thickest part of the fillet.
• Cook the kale. While the salmon is cooking, cook the kale. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil over medium-high heat in a large saucepan or wok. When oil is hot, add garlic and ginger and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add kale and about a quarter cup of water, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally. Add more water if you notice the bottom of the pan looking dry. The kale is done in about five minutes, when it turns a deep, vivid green and is tender to the bite. Remove from heat while you get everything else ready, but don't cover the pan - the steam will overcook the kale and make it soggy and sad.
• Back to the salmon. When the salmon is ready, flip salmon and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. Salmon is done when it flakes easily. You can test for this by pressing down gently in the middle of a fillet (turn it back around first so that you’re poking the flesh and not the skin!) or by prodding it with a fork or paring knife to see if it flakes. You can also test the temperature in the thickest part of the fillet with a meat thermometer - it should read 120°F (49°C) for medium-rare, or 130°F (54°C) for medium. James and I tend to prefer salmon cooked to medium-rare or medium – that is, it’s still a bit translucent pink in the middle, like the appearance of medium rare steak. This is totally okay and I encourage you to try it – the resulting salmon is utterly tender and melt in your mouth. However, if you prefer your fish more well done, cook it for a bit longer to desired doneness. 
• Drain pasta and toss immediately with lots of pesto sauce.
• Serve each salmon fillet with a dollop of pasta and a dollop of kale and revel in all your free time!

Notes:

Please don’t be intimidated by the number of steps! There are a lot of tips and recommendations written in the recipe that aren’t really action items.

That being said, there is a potential panic moment where you may still be stirring the kale, but the timer has gone off to flip the salmon! Panic! Don’t worry. Kale is a hardy enough vegetable that it doesn’t overcook easily. Even overcooked kale still retains a bit of chewiness and structure, and doesn’t become mushy like, say, spinach. So – breathe – cover your kale, go and flip the salmon, and when you’re done, uncover the kale and give it a toss to mix together any overcooked bits with undercooked bits, and it’ll be perfect.

Room temperature salmon fillets will cook more evenly and sear better (crispier, crunchier skin) than cold fillets. I’ve cooked salmon fillets straight from the fridge with little problem (I am lazy and don’t always remember), but if you have the foresight, take the fillets out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes before cooking to let them come to room temperature.

Jackie, why does your kale pot look so small in the pictures? This is a classic case of “do as I say, not as I do.” I hate washing big pots, but desire LOTS of vegetables. I reconcile these two not reconcilable statements by stuffing too many vegetables in too small a pot. This risks resulting in many bad things: burning the vegetables or aromatics on the bottom because you’re unable to stir properly, overcooking the vegetables on the bottom, undercooking the vegetables on the top, spilling the vegetables everywhere when you try to stir. If you’re feeling lazy, brave, and foolish, try it! Even if any and all of the above happens, you’ve still got a pan of vegetables, and vegetables are delicious. If, however, you’ll do as I say and not as I do, try to find a pot that will be only about ¾ full once you add all the vegetables. This will allow for more air circulation so that vegetables will cook more evenly, and will also allow you to stir the vegetables more easily, which also results in more evenly cooked vegetables. In the end, life is choices, and so you do you.

You could also serve the salmon with any variety of easy carb or vegetable – basmati rice, boiled potatoes, baked potatoes (will take about an hour to cook but are totally hands off after they go in the oven), roasted vegetables, steamed vegetables, sautéed vegetables… endless variations on a very simple, very delicious theme!

Made this? Have some feedback? Let me know! Leave a comment below, or tag #trialbyfryer on Instagram!