I love pasta dishes. Sometimes the PG-500 adds a bit of welcome smoke flavor when used as a summer kitchen oven.
A few years back kale was the "in" vegetable. The catchphrase was, "Eat kale, live longer." I dunno now, but I went for it. Anyway, this tastes great and the kale can't hurt.
Ingredients1 lb. short pasta (I used whole wheat penne)
5 stalks kale, stems discarded and leaves torn into silver dollar size pieces
3 tablespoons oil*
1¼ lb. bulk Italian sausage (your choice as to mild or spicy)
1 onion, chopped
½ teaspoon Sea salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional—be careful here, it can have too much heat, consider a light touch)
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 package shredded mixed Italian cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, and any other)
Directions1. Set Fast Eddy at 350°.
2. Lay out all measured ingredients before starting. Some steps go fast and you won't have time to find what you need and measure.
3. Brown the sausage in a tablespoon of oil. Set it aside in a bowl.
4. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package, usually 8 to 10 minutes. Add the kale during the last three minutes.
5. Drain the pasta/kale and return it to the pot.
6. Add the onion and two tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Season with ½ teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook it covered, stirring occasionally, until tender (six or eight minutes).
7. Stir in the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
8. Sprinkle the flour over the onion mixture and cook, stirring, for one minute.
9. Stirring constantly, gradually add the milk. Simmer, keeping it well-stirred, until somewhat thickened (two or three minutes).
10. Stir in the crushed red pepper (if you've opted for it)
11. Add this mixture to the pasta/kale and toss to coat.
12. Add the sausage, tomatoes, ricotta and mozzarella and mix well.
13. Transfer the pasta mixture to a three-quart or 9×13-inch casserole dish.
14. Sprinkle heavily with the Italian cheese blend and bake in zone 4 until heated through and golden brown (20 to 25 minutes).
*Be careful if using olive oil. The smoke point for canola, safflower or grape seed oils are considerably higher than EVOO (375° plus). In fact, EVOO shouldn't be used for grilling at higher temps, 'cause it turns bitter. If you must use olive oil in your higher temperature cooking, use Pomace Olive Oil. It's refined to withstand higher temps.
