This comforting Sausage and Leek Orecchiette will be your go-to pasta dish on any cold evening! Bonus, the leftovers are equally, if not more, delicious as the flavors have more time to develop and blend together. Enjoy!
1poundsweet Italian chicken sausagecasings removed
4leekswhite and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, rinsed and sliced into ¼ inch pieces
1bunchdinosaur kale, finely shredded (optional)
⅔cupwhite wine
1tablespoonbutter
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepperto taste
1poundorecchiette pasta
1cupParmesanfinely shredded
1cupAsiagofinely shredded
½cupreserved 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 (and kale if you're using) to sausage in skillet and cook until softened, about 5 more minutes.
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 ½ 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.
Notes
This recipe makes for extra delish leftovers! My favorite way to re-heat this recipe is to add a little olive oil into a pan and add the leftover pasta and heat over low heat. That way nothing dries out in the microwave!