Orecchiette with Sausage Kale and Sundried Tomato is a 20 minute pasta dish that brings unique flavors together to create a mouthwatering dish. Orecchiette pasta is paired with chicken sausage, kale, sundried tomatoes and finished off in a light olive oil and lemon sauce. 

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE KALE AND SUNDRIED TOMATO

You guys, we have to talk about this Orecchiette with Sausage Kale and Sundried Tomato and how much I love it.

When I posted a photo of this recipe on Instagram and Facebook a lot of you were asking for the recipe and just as excited about it as I am {and for good reason!}.  

I am a sucker for pasta dishes that pack in a lot of ingredients and flavors but are still easy to make.

You might remember this One Pot Kale Broccoli Chickpea OrecchiettePasta dish I shared a while back which I also loved. There is something so fun about this small, delicate little pasta. My kids love calling it ear pasta. 😉 

One of my favorite things to do is open up my pantry at dinner time and round up ingredients I have on hand to create a recipe.  

That is what I did with today’s Orecchiette with Sausage Kale and Sundried Tomato. 

I recently received a jar of julienne style sundried tomatoes by Cara Mia  to try and they have been waiting to be used for months.

I knew it would pair perfectly with the baby kale and chicken sausage I had in my fridge. Sundried tomatoes are one of my favorite ingredients to add into pasta dishes!

Of course when I was ready to make this dish I look at my pasta choices and went straight for the orecchiette, but you can use whatever you have on hand.

The nice thing about today’s dish is how customizable it is.

Here are some ideas:

• Try making this dish vegetarian by leaving out the chicken sausage and using beans instead to add protein {try chickpeas or white beans}.

• If you like the sound of this dish but you aren’t a fan of sausage try adding grilled chicken or shrimp.

• Is kale not your thing? Use a different green like spinach or swiss chard.

• Cheese lover? Try feta, goat cheese or parmesan.

• Do you enjoy a bit of crunch in your dish? Use pine nuts or walnuts for health benefits and a touch of crunch. 

This dish came together in about 20 minutes for me and was really an easy weeknight meal.

You can also feel good about feeding this to your family and to make it even healthier try using a whole wheat pasta.

A lot of pasta dishes use butter to add flavor, but this uses a light olive oil, garlic and lemon sauce that gives it a sweet flavor that won’t hurt your waistline.

As you start to stock up your winter recipes this Orecchiette with Sausage Kale and Sundried Tomato is one to add to the list!

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Orecchiette with Sausage Kale and Sundried Tomato

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Orecchiette with Sausage Kale and Sundried Tomato is a 20 minute pasta dish that brings unique flavors together to create a mouthwatering dish. Orecchiette pasta is paired with chicken sausage, kale, sundried tomatoes and finished off in a light olive oil and lemon sauce.

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Ingredients

• 8 oz. Orecchiette pasta {or pasta of your choice}
• 5 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/4 of a sweet onion, chopped {about 1 cup}
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed, diced {or pepper of your choice}
• 6 oz. chicken sausage, sliced {or sausage or meat of you choice}
• 5 oz. baby kale {or greens of your choice}
• 4 oz. sundried tomatoes
• 1 lemon, juiced

Garnish:

• Freshly parsley
• Parmesan cheese
• Crushed red pepper

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot according to the package.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft. Add the bell pepper and sausage and continue to sauté until the sausage is cooked through, about 7-8 minutes {this depends on the type of sausage or meat you use}.
3. Add the baby kale, sundried tomatoes, lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons olive oil and continue to cook until the kale is wilted.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in the cooked pasta. Mix well. Garnish with fresh parsley, parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper {optional}.

Notes

There are a lot of ways you can customize this dish. If you want to add beans for extra protein or to make it vegetarian without the meat try white beans or chickpeas.

If you like cheese try adding parmesan cheese, mozzarella or feta.

For extra crunch try adding a handful of toasted pine nuts or walnuts.

I used baby kale but if you don't like kale try spinach, swiss chard or your favorite green.

Thanks to Star Fine Foods for sending me olive oil and piquillo peppers to use for this recipe.   As always, opinions are 100% my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that allow me to create new recipes for you!