Penne with Sausage & Escarole

Blogging breaks are necessary but then I get to a point, usually after 5 days, when I feel disconnected from the people who have become a part of my life. So, here I am, I've missed you. And I bring you this dish I made recently which I found in the Today's Show recipe book, a gift for my  birthday in October.

I loved this dish! The ingredients just work so well together. The original recipe called for broccoli rabe which is slightly bitter. I opted for escarole since it pairs beautifully with sausage in a popular Italian soup. It was perfect so I'm sticking with it!!!!!

PENNE WITH SAUSAGE & ESCAROLE

{Printable Recipe Here}

1 lb hot or sweet Italian sausage links
1 tblsp olive oil
8 oz Escarole, chopped (about 6 cups)
1 large leek, cut into ¼” slices (about ½ cup)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2/3 cup chicken broth
½ cup purchased roasted red sweet peppers, drained & cut into strips
6 oz dried penne pasta
¼ cup snipped fresh basil
½ tsp pepper
1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Fill a skillet with ½” water. Bring to boiling. Add sausage. Cook covered for 15 minutes. Drain. Remove to a cutting board & cut into ½” slices. Return slices to a skillet & cook in oil for 2-3 minutes or until brown. Set aside.

Add escarole, leek & garlic to skillet. Cook, stirring until escarole is wilted & leek is tender.

Stir in sausage, broth & peppers. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat. Cover & simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until escarole is crisp tender.

Meanwhile cook pasta. Add cooked pasta, basil & black pepper to sausage mixture. Toss gently to combine.

Top with parmesan cheese. Serve additional parmesan cheese at table.

A little tip on parmesan: Fresh is best!!!!!!!!!!! I highly recommend buying a fresh block & shredding/grating as you need it. It lasts for a while & is perfect for pasta dishes that require only just a few but very fresh ingredients.

Since I find it to be such a pain to grate on the smallest hole (not shown above) I grate on the hole you see above, then I just do a rough chop to get it just a bit smaller that what you see.

{Food for Thought}

The recipe didn't mention taking the casing off the sausage but I did anyway. After it boils & you remove it to a cutting board, let it rest for a few minutes. Then just take a knife & make a slit the long way, removing the casing like a jacket with your hands. Since the sausage & escarole are perfect together I wouldn't recommend substituting chicken but if you're not a meat eater I think turkey sausage would be fine too.

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