Looking for a kid friendly kale recipe? This sausage kale pasta is a dish the whole family will love! It’s full of flavor and healthy kale, which sticks right on the noodles so the kale goes down easily and happily for our little ones. It’s budget friendly too. it costs less than $15 to make, and it usually lasts us at least two meals.
Benefits of KaLE
We all know kale has solidified itself as a trendy, healthy vegetable, but here’s a recap of why it’s so great for you and your kiddos:
- Vitamin A – aids in immunity and eyesight
- Vitamin C – helps with immunity
- Calcium – one of the highest ranking veggies for calcium, which is important for bone heath
- Soluable Fiber – helps your body to absorb nutrients from your food
INGREDIENTS
This recipe packs a punch of flavor with only five ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- Frozen Kale
- Orecchiette Pasta (or other pasta of your choosing like bowtie)
- Bulk Sausage
- Parmesan Cheese
I highly recommend frozen kale as it saves so much time! Nutritionally speaking, frozen vegetables are actually very similar to – and sometimes even better than – fresh vegetables. Modern “flash-frozen” techniques immediately freeze the vegetables after being harvested, which helps halt their aging process and nutrient loss. Plus frozen is WAY more convenient for a busy family.
STEP BY STEP
First, brown the sausage on high heat in olive oil, while cooking pasta per box instructions in a separate pot.
Once sausage is browned, add 1/2 to 3/4 bag frozen kale, and reduce heat to medium/low.
As kale/sausage mix continues to cook, add a few tablespoons of pasta water to keep the pan moist.
Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Mix in pasta and add in extra pasta water to sausage pan as needed. Dish should be moist, not watery.
Serve to your whole family and enjoy! We usually add parmesan cheese on top …and some flakes of red pepper if you like an extra kick.
SAUSAGE KALE PASTA
Recipe // via Mama to Littles
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 – 3/4 bag frozen kale
- 1 lb Bulk Italian Sausage
- Olive Oil
- Orecchiette Pasta (or other pasta of your choosing like bowtie)
- Parmesan Cheese
- Red pepper flakes (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Brown sausage in olive oil over high heat, while simultaneously cooking pasta in a separate pot, per box instructions
- Once sausage is browned, add frozen kale and reduce heat to medium/low
- Before draining pasta, reserve 1 cup pasta water
- As sausage/kale mix continues to cook, add pasta water to pan to keep moist
- Add pasta to pan
- Mix and add extra pasta water as needed (should be moist, but not watery)
- Serve and enjoy! Top with parmesan and red pepper if you like an extra kick
Serves 4-6
