Rigatoni with sausage and kale is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes with hearty pasta, sausage, and kale. Save this recipe for a date night when you don’t want to go out to eat.
I have to admit that kale isn’t a green I reach for quite often, but after trying it in this rigatoni and sausage pasta recipe, I’ll be using it more often now. Below is a list of different sausage that would work well with this recipe, and I’m excited to them all. *See recipe notes below. You can change this pasta up in so many ways and make it to however you like it. I’m thinking full-on carbonara here folks. *Adds to my bucket list of recipes to try next.
This is one of the reasons I enjoy being a food blogger. As I’m sitting here typing this blog post out, I get more and more recipe ideas floating around in my head that I need to stop and write them out so I remember them.
If you like pasta recipes try Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni, Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole, or Lasagna Pasta.
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Ingredients Needed
- Uncooked rigatoni – Rigatoni is the suggested pasta of choice the recipe below uses but that isn’t the only pasta you can use. Try spaghetti or penne pasta or whatever else you have in your pantry and follow the instructions on the back of your box for cooking. If you’re following the purple plan myWW plan sub out whole wheat pasta.
- Turkey sausage (any kind) – I used Jennie-O ground turkey sausage for this. Like pasta, there are so many flavors of turkey sausage such as breakfast turkey sausage, Italian style turkey sausage, kielbasa, andouille, chorizo, the list goes on and on!
- Kale, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces – Kale is loaded with antioxidants such as quercetin and kaempferol. It is an excellent source of vitamin c and vitamin k. It can also help lower cholesterol, which will reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Chicken broth – The best type of chicken stock to use is one that is homemade. For canned stock, I look for ones that say reduced sodium or fat free.
- Black pepper and salt to taste
- Parmesan cheese is a hard, granular cheese that originated in Italy. It is typically made from cow’s milk and has a sharp, nutty flavor. Parmesan cheese is often grated and used as a topping for pasta dishes, salads, and other foods.
- See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to make Rigatoni with Kale and Sausage
Step 1: Cook rigatoni in salted water according to package directions.
Step 2: Meanwhile, remove sausage from casing and cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up sausage as it cooks, about 3 minutes.
Recipe Tip: The pan will start to turn brown but step 4 will clear it up.
Step 3: Add kale; cook, stirring frequently, until limp, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Step 4: Add broth to skillet and scrape up browned bits on the bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon; season with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Cover skillet and reduce heat to low; cook until kale is tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in rigatoni; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons of cheese before serving. Yields about 1 ½ cups per serving.
Recipe Points
MyWW points: Blue: 8; Green: 8; Purple: 8
My WW Personal Points: 8 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
Recipe FAQs
I’m a spinach or romaine fan but kale has many health benefits and has been deemed a superfood. Kale is loaded with antioxidants such as quercetin and kaempferol. It is an excellent source of vitamin c and vitamin k. It can also help lower cholesterol, which will reduce the risk of heart disease.
Always store leftovers in clean, food-grade containers. The type of container doesn’t really matter. Use zip lock, glass, plastic, whatever! Make sure to store any leftovers in an airtight container.
Other Pasta Recipes
If you tried this Rigatoni with Sausage and Kale or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries
Recipe from adapted from Weight Watchers
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Rigatoni with Sausage and Kale
Prep Time: 10min
Cook Time: 15-20min
Total Time: 30min
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Easy
Method: Stovetop
Cuisine: American
Description
A quick and easy weeknight dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes with hearty pasta, sausage, and kale. Save this recipe for a date night when you don’t want to go out to eat.
- 2 cup(s) uncooked rigatoni
- 8 oz uncooked turkey sausage (any kind),
- 3 cup(s) uncooked kale, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup(s) canned chicken broth
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp table salt
- ½ cup(s) shredded Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano recommended
Instructions
-
Cook rigatoni in salted water according to package directions.
-
Meanwhile, remove sausage from casing and cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up sausage as it cooks, about 3 minutes.
-
Add kale; cook, stirring frequently, until limp, about 3 to 5 minutes.
-
Add broth to skillet and scrape up browned bits on the bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon; season with salt and pepper.
-
Cover skillet and reduce heat to low; cook until kale is tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in rigatoni; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons of cheese before serving.
-
Yields about 1 ½ cups per serving.
Notes
MyWW points: Blue: 8; Green: 8; Purple: 8
My WW Personal Points: 8 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in)
Recipe adapted from WW
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
- Calories: 298
- Sugar: .7g
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 3.6g
- Carbohydrates: 24.3g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 22.9g
