Spaghetti with Sausage and Kale

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb hot pork sausage, casings discarded and sausage crumbled
• 1/2 lb kale, tough stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lb dried whole wheat spaghetti
• 2/3 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 oz Pecorino Romano (1/2 cup) plus additional for serving

Get Ingredients

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook sausage, breaking up any lumps with a spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, blanch kale in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water , uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Remove kale with a large sieve and drain. Return cooking water in the pot to a boil, then cook pasta in boiling water, uncovered, until al dente.

Reserve 1 cup of pasta-cooking water then drain pasta in a colander.

While pasta cooks, add kale to the sausage in the skillet and sauté, stirring frequently, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet.

Then add pasta and 1/2 cup reserved cooking water to skillet, tossing until combined. Stir in cheese and thin with additional cooking water if desired.

Serve immediately.