TGIF! I’ve been living off this Sausage and Leek Orecchiette recently and I can’t get enough!
It’s loaded with kale, tons of leeks which are literally my currently favorite vegetable, a bit of savory sausage, cheese, red pepper flakes, and more! I used my favorite little Orecchiette pasta because they look like little ears, but feel free to use whatever kind of pasta you prefer!
Sausage and Leek Orecchiette
Ingredients
- 1 pound sweet Italian chicken sausage casings removed
- 4 leeks white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
- 2 bunches dinosaur kale Lacinato kale
- 2/3 cup white wine
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Kosher salt and pepper and red pepper flakes to taste
- 1 pound orecchiette pasta
- 1 cup Parmesan finely shredded
- 1 cup Asiago finely shredded
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- In a large skillet, sauté the sausages over medium-high, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add chopped leeks to sausage in skillet and cook until softened, about 5 more minutes. Add kale and cook until wilted. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, until mostly evaporated. Stir in butter and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta, return to pot, add sausage mixture, and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water as needed to thicken sauce. Toss in the shredded Parmesan and Asiago. Adjust salt and pepper as needed and serve.
This is perfect! I just dug up a bunch of leeks and cut a big bunch of kale, so this is on the menu for tonight!!
One of my favorite recipes ever! I have always used broccolini, cannot wait to try this with leeks and kale~ thank you for sharing this fabulous recipe~
This was my first time making one of your recipes and OMG this was so delicious and easy! Definitely will add to the list of regulars. YUMMMMMM!
How many does this recipe serve?
4-6
I am not a white wine drinker only red. What type of white wine should I use?
Whoa, this was sooo good!! Such simple ingredients but sooo much flavor! Another winner Gabi!
SO happy to hear it!
Could I substitute spinach for the kale?
Spinach works GREAT.
This was delicious!! Will definitely make again. Something I could see myself making while entertaining. It was my first time buying and cutting leeks. Adventure in itself
I made this last night and my family absolutely loved it just had the leftovers for lunch and it was even better!!!!
Love love love. So good!
Made this tonight and it was a hit! I doubled the sausage so it was a little more substantial for two hungry boys. I put it a LOT of kale and it probably could have used more. A great, quick, all-in-one-dish meal.
Oh mg word! This came out delicious. So happy I happen to have these ingredients on hand. Would’ve never thought to pair up leeks w kale.
Delicious! Even my SUPER picky 9 year old had 2 helpings. Can’t wait to make it again!
What can you substitute for leeks? Green onions?
I would just do regular yellow onions!
Whole fam loved this! After my 13 yr old tried & raved about it, he said, “let me guess….Gaby?!”
My husband accidentally bought Asiago fresco… will that work? Thanks!
totally
This is literally my husband and my’s favorite meal! We make it as often as we can. It is so easy and not messy. I just realized I never use the butter, but we don’t notice it missing so I’ll keep it out to keep the fat down. Thanks for another great recipe, Gaby!
Perfect weeknight meal! It was packed with flavor
Never cooked with Leeks before in my life. Tried this recipe out and we are in LOVE! All I had on hand was some purple kale but it still turned out lovely. Not too saucy, not too goopy and dry. YUM YUM YUM!
New household staple.