Dinner Tonight: Mushroom Sausage Kale Pasta

My family loves pasta for supper, and I love making pasta like this for my kiddos because they eat it up...kale and all.

We used a nice chicken sausage on this night but you could use turkey or pork sausage too. Ask your butcher if you have any questions about locating good quality chicken or turkey sausages. They're a great way to lighten up a hearty dish like this. We also only use whole wheat pasta in our house...extra fiber and protein to boot! If you're not into kale, feel free to substitute fresh spinach instead. Just mix and match it for your family!

On a cozy night, enjoy this quick and easy pasta with your family too!

Happy dinner!


This recipe serves four adults.


Shopping List
1 pound Italian sausage (turkey, chicken or pork)
1 pound of pasta (we used penne)
1 shallot, chopped
2 cups chopped mushrooms (any variety you like)
4 cups Kale, torn into bite sized pieces (just a few big handfuls)
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
a splash of half and half, whipping cream or milk
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)



In a large skillet over medium-high heat, drizzle in just a tablespoon or so of EVOO. Add in your sausage (if it's in the casing, remove from casing first) and begin to brown.

On a second burner, bring a large pot of water to boil for your pasta. Drop your pasta and cook to al dente.

Once your sausage is browned and crumbly, add in your shopped shallot and saute just a minute or so. Add in your chopped mushrooms and kale. Stir in your stock and de-glaze the pan (scrape up the little bits off of the bottom of your pan). Reduce heat to medium and allow mixture to bubble up a few minutes.

Drain your pasta and add the hot pasta to your sausage mixture. Stir in your Parmesan and a splash of half and half. Add just a pinch of salt and pepper and serve (maybe with a bit more Parm to garnish).

If you're serving two adults and two kids, you might want to use less pasta. The pound of pasta is a great way to stretch a meal when serving adults. Shallots are found next to the onions and garlic. Can't find a shallot? Use half an onion and one clove of garlic instead.

This entire meal can be on your table in about 18 minutes. Dinner done.


Enjoy!