Spicy Sausage, Kale, and Lemon Pasta

Hi friends! Yes, it has been a while since I've last shared with you. To be honest, I'm not entirely sure where the past month has gone. Unfortunately, it seems that life can just get incredibly busy and hectic at times. I'm not sure if being too busy to update the blog is a good sign or not, but it is what it is and I can't change the past. Just yesterday I was having a conversation with someone at a party on the topic of having the power to change aspects of your life that you aren't satisfied with. It's not always easy or without some form of sacrifice (anything of benefit rarely is), but it is possible. In that vein, I don't like that there are sometimes multiple weeks where I don't update The Hungry Hutch. Taking a dose of my own medicine, it is therefore up to me to change and improve if I really mean what I say. I haven't exactly come up with a plan on how to accomplish this yet, but it's definitely on my mind. I'd love to hear any useful tips and tricks that you might have.

If you've been following along on Instagram and Twitter, then you are likely to have already seen this dish pop up in your feed. This is the first time I can recall cooking (and maybe even eating) the particular shape of pasta pictured here. It's known as perciatelli, or bucatini, and is essentially thick spaghetti with a hole running down its center. I'd definitely say I'm a fan after using it in this recipe because of the heartiness it provides and its delicious chew. I came across it during one of my post-work strolls through the grocery store while trying to figure out what to make for dinner that evening. After seeing that Italian sausage was also on sale that day I knew I was on to something tasty. Sausage is one of my favorite food groups (yes, I like to count it as a food group). I think it's because—when done well—the mix of herbs, seasonings, meat, and fat can lead to the most wonderful combinations. I tossed some curly kale into my shopping basket to up the nutritional value of the dish. Plus, I'm a big fan of recipes that provide complete meals (so far we have protein, carbs, and vegetables) in a single dish. Lemons were logically the next addition because of how well the flavor goes with kale. All that's left is to add a little cheese (for good measure) and you've got yourself one tasty bowl of pasta!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. hot Italian sausage
• olive oil
• 2 small onions, diced
• 1 lb (curly) kale, washed, stems removed, and chopped
• 1 lb. perciatelli (bucatini) pasta, 2 cups of cooking water reserved
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
• salt

Procedure:

In a large pan/skillet, brown sausage in olive for approximately 5 minutes. Add onions and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add kale and cook for another few minutes.

Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. You want there to still be a good amount of bite as the noodles will continue to cook once you add them to the rest of the ingredients.

Add pasta to the sausage, onion, and kale mixture along with some of the cooking water. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and cheese—these will combine with the pasta water to make a light sauce that the pasta will absorb.

Tasted and season with salt as needed. Serve.

Have you ever cooked with perciatelli (bucatini) before? What's your favorite way to eat it?