Pasta with Sausage and Mustard Greens

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The genius of Food & Wine test kitchen deputy editor Justin Chapple’s pasta recipe is the contrast of flavors—creamy, meaty, nicely bitter and tangy. Slideshow: More Pasta Recipes 

Pasta with Sausage and Mustard Greens
Photo: Con Poulos
Total Time:
45 mins
Yield:
4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces mezzi rigatoni

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 pound Bilbro Family Sausage (see Note) or bulk Italian sweet sausage, crumbled

  • 2 leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick

  • 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • Kosher salt

  • Pepper

  • 1/2 pound mustard greens, stemmed, leaves chopped

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes

  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche

Directions

  1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.

  2. In the same pot, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the sausage and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl. Add the leeks, garlic and a generous pinch of salt to the pot and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the leeks are softened, about 5 minutes.

  3. Return the sausage to the pot. Add the mustard greens and tomatoes and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until the greens are just wilted and the tomatoes start to burst, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pasta, crème fraîche and reserved pasta water and cook, tossing, until the pasta is hot and coated in a light sauce, about 2 minutes. Season the pasta with salt and pepper and serve right away.

Notes

Bilbro Family Sausage

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