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Ricotta-Pesto Pasta with Sausage and Kale
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Prep Time:
15 minutes
Cook Time:
50 minutes
Total Time:
75 minutes
Baked rigatoni with Italian sausage, kale, and ricotta-pesto sauce. A comforting, cheesy dish perfect for all!
Ingredients:
  • cooking spray
  • 1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
  • 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
  • 6 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely chopped
  • 0.25 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine
  • 1 (16 ounce) container ricotta cheese
  • 1 (6 ounce) jar pesto, or more to taste
  • 1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella, divided
Instructions:
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
  • 1. Boil a large pot of salted water. 2. Cook rigatoni for about 9 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly undercooked. 3. Drain pasta, saving 1/2 cup of cooking water. Keep aside.
  • While the pasta is boiling, brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir until crumbly and nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the cooked sausage to a plate lined with paper towels, leaving the flavorful grease in the pan.
  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in kale, nutmeg, pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Deglaze the pan with white wine and cook until kale is soft, 5 to 10 more minutes.
  • Place the sausage back into the pan and mix in ricotta, pesto, and 6 ounces of mozzarella cheese. Stir in the reserved pasta and cooking water. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella on top. Cover with foil before baking.
  • Preheat the oven, then bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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