Spicy Italian Sausage and Kale Pasta

Ingredients

• Whole wheat pasta

  dry

  8 oz or 227g

• Olive oil

  1 tbsp or 14g

• Italian sausage

  pork, raw

  6 oz or 170g

• Kale

  raw

  2 cup, chopped or 134g

• Fennel seed

  1 tsp, whole or 2g

• Crushed red pepper flakes

  ½ tsp or 0.2g

• Salt

  table

  1 dash or 0.4g

• Black pepper

  ground

  1 dash or 0.1g

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the whole wheat pasta until al dente according to package directions, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water before draining.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage (crumbled or sliced) and cook, breaking it up as needed, until browned and cooked through, 5–7 minutes.
3. Stir in the fennel seeds and crushed red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for 30–60 seconds to bloom the spices.
4. Add the chopped kale and sauté until wilted and tender, about 2–3 minutes.
5. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to combine, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed to create a light sauce. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, and serve hot.