Italian Sausage and Kale Baked Ziti

This baked sausage and kale pasta dish is uncomplicated without sacrificing flavor!

The school year is winding down and I'm looking forward to less chaos. Although I am not 100% sure I will switch up how I do my meal plan concerning Mondays because they are still one of the busiest days of the week, even during the summer. I tend to go for pasta dishes because other than lasagna, most pasta dishes are pretty quick.

I was immediately sold on this recipe because it contains kale. Call me a bandwagon-er if you want, but I totally get the kale trend. Is it still a trend? I'm not sure because I was way late to joining in. Kale and sausage are a really wonderful pair and add in cheese and pasta and it's literally heaven. It's such an uncomplicated dish with simple ingredients and doesn't take much effort to throw together.

(Print)
What you need:

• 12 oz. ziti or penne pasta
• 1 lb. ground Italian sausage, mild or spicy
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 3 large handfuls of kale leaves, stems removed, roughly chopped
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Shredded parmesan cheese
• Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, saute sausage over medium-high heat until browned, crumbling as you go. Then add minced garlic and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta in a stockpot or large saucepan al dente according to package directions. Drain.
3. Add cooked sausage and kale to drained pasta and toss until kale is dark green and slightly wilted.  
4. Pour half of the pasta mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.
5. Top with the other half of the pasta and the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to turn golden brown.
7. Serve with additional Parmesan and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Recipe from Gimme Some Oven

This Chicken & Bacon Pasta with Spinach & Tomatoes isn't a baked pasta dish, but it's just as wonderful. Italian sausage, kale, and pasta are a great combination and I have this Italian Sausage & Kale Lasagna from Flying on Jess Fuel on my Pinterest boards ready to add to my meal plan very soon!

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