Orecchiette Pasta with Kale, Sausage and Garlic Chips

There’s no real reason to beat around the bush, so I’ll just come out and say it. I’m sorry. I’ve been a terrible food blogger lately. I know you count on me to deliver stunning recipes with sharp wit straight to your inbox, and I have let you down.

You have probably been checking your email everyday and wondering,”Where in the world is Maui Flour Child?” By the way, if you didn’t notice I was gone, no need to say anything.

So it’s kind of a long story… Let’s just say, my life got hit by a hurricane and then I went to Las Vegas. Yikes!

What’s important is that I’m back. I’ve picked up the pieces of my scattered life and put everything in it’s rightful place. (Well, except the laundry.) I’ve even made a few changes. Like for example, my New Year’s Resolution of being more free-spirited. Yeah, that was a terrible idea. My new February resolution is to be more structured, and disciplined. Righteous path here I come!

So I don’t know about you, but after a hurricane hits my life I want to eat something hearty and nourishing. Like pasta! Like a big steaming bowl of sausage, kale and Orecchiette pasta garnished with garlic chips, parmesan, red pepper flakes and a squeeze of lemon. Like the kind of pasta your Grandma would make you if you were lucky enough to be Italian!

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian Sausage, casing removed (I used turkey sausage)

6 stalks organic kale

1 package Orecchiette pasta

1/2 onion, diced

5 cloves garlic

8 TB olive oil

Parmesan

1 Lemon

What to do:

Start by making your garlic chips. Thinly slice your 5 cloves of garlic Goodfellas style.

In a small pan arrange the garlic slices in a single layer and cover with olive oil.

Bring to medium heat. Keep a close eye on the garlic. The goal is to flavor the oil and also to make garlic chips, but you have to be careful not to burn the garlic or it will taste bitter. So as soon as you see the garlic slices turning golden, strain, reserving the oil. Lay out the chips on a paper towel and set aside. By the way, if you don’t like garlic, skip this step.

Next, cut, wash and dry your kale, removing the stems.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for your pasta. The reason I use salted water is one, it makes the pasta taste awesome, and two, I love to use the salty, starchy water the pasta cooks in to create a pasta sauce. I know all that salt is probably not good for you, but that stuff is seriously magic! Cook your pasta and reserve 2 cups of that magic water.

In a large pan, heat the reserved garlic oil (you don’t have to use it all) and add the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon. When it is almost done and starting to look nice and browned, add the onion. Continue to cook for a few more minutes, then add the kale, slowly stirring and working it into the mixture.

Add one cup of the reserved magic pasta water and cover, stirring occasionally until the kale is tender. Add the cooked Orecchiette and mix everything together. If you want the pasta to be looser and have more moisture, add more of the pasta water.

Serve in a large family style bowl and garnish with the garlic chips, parmesan, a squeeze of lemon and red chili flakes.

Feels good to be back,