Spaghetti with Sausage and Bitter Greens

Makes 4 to 6 servings

If you’re still exploring the world of bitter greens, this is a great dish to start with. It’s acidic and rich, which helps to balance the slight bitterness of the radicchio and escarole. Peel the tomatoes, if you want, but if the skins don’t bother you, it’s fine to leave them on.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 oz plain fresh pork sausage, crumbled
  • 1 cup minced shallots
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded radicchio
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded escarole
  • 1 cup shredded arugula
  • 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, chopped ripe plum tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
  • Red pepper flakes, as needed
  • Kosher salt, as needed
  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • 1 oz (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Directions

  1. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook, stirring as needed, until the sausage is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  2. Increase the heat to high. Stir in the radicchio, escarole, and arugula and continue to cook until they are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat off, remove and discard the garlic cloves, and set aside the sausage mixture.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and stir a few times to separate the pasta and submerge the strands. Cook, uncovered, until the pasta is just tender (al dente), 7 to 8 minutes. Reserve a few ladlefuls of the pasta cooking water for finishing the sauce (you will need about 1/2 cup).
  4. Drain the pasta in a colander. Shake well to remove any water clinging to the pasta. Pour the drained pasta into a large heated serving bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water, the reserved sausage mixture, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the butter, and cheese to the pasta. Toss together until the pasta is evenly coated. The pasta should appear creamy, not oily. If necessary, add a bit more of the pasta cooking water.
  5. Serve the pasta immediately with freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

CIA FOODIES

Spaghetti with Sausage and Bitter Greens

Spaghetti with Sausage and Bitter Greens
Makes 4 to 6 servings If you’re still exploring the world of bitter greens, this is a great dish to start with. It’s acidic and rich, which helps to balance the slight bitterness of the radicchio and escarole. Peel the tomatoes, if you want, but if the skins don’t bother you, it’s fine to leave them on.

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 oz plain fresh pork sausage, crumbled
  • 1 cup minced shallots
  • 4 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded radicchio
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded escarole
  • 1 cup shredded arugula
  • 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, chopped ripe plum tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
  • Red pepper flakes, as needed
  • Kosher salt, as needed
  • 1 lb spaghetti
  • 1 oz (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • Freshly ground black pepper, as needed

Directions

  1. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the sausage. Cook, stirring as needed, until the sausage is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
  2. Increase the heat to high. Stir in the radicchio, escarole, and arugula and continue to cook until they are wilted, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Turn the heat off, remove and discard the garlic cloves, and set aside the sausage mixture.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and stir a few times to separate the pasta and submerge the strands. Cook, uncovered, until the pasta is just tender (al dente), 7 to 8 minutes. Reserve a few ladlefuls of the pasta cooking water for finishing the sauce (you will need about 1/2 cup).
  4. Drain the pasta in a colander. Shake well to remove any water clinging to the pasta. Pour the drained pasta into a large heated serving bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water, the reserved sausage mixture, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, the butter, and cheese to the pasta. Toss together until the pasta is evenly coated. The pasta should appear creamy, not oily. If necessary, add a bit more of the pasta cooking water.
  5. Serve the pasta immediately with freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

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