This sausage and kale pasta is a delicious and hearty dish that uses broken-up lasagna noodles for the pasta. The flavors and textures of the kale, sausage, and lasagna noodles are amazing together and it is easy to make.
This pasta with sausage, kale, and mushrooms (which I call, broken noodles pasta) is a favorite pasta dish in my house and that says a lot since we eat a lot of pasta. The broken noodles part of this recipe is actually lasagna noodles broken in half and quarters. Here are my favorite things about this pasta recipe:
- Amazing flavors and textures: It is loaded with caramelized sausage, tender kale, perfectly cooked mushrooms, and toothsome lasagna noodles in a delicious and simple sauce. The texture of the thick broken lasagna noodles is like eating fancy pasta.
- Quick to make: This may look like a fancy dish but it is ready in about 30 minutes. Great for the weeknights.
- Great way to use up leftover uncooked lasagna noodles: If you've got a collection of lasagna noodles sitting in your pantry, this is a great way to use it.
What you will need
- Dried lasagna noodles: These are uncooked lasagna noodles.
- Italian sausage: You can use spicy, mild or sweet Italian sausage depending on your preference.
- Onion: For. flavor.
- Kale: Any type of kale will work.
- Mushrooms: Like with my pancetta mushroom pasta, I like using button mushrooms but use your favorite variety.
- Olive oil: I like using extra virgin for the flavor.
- Balsamic vinegar: This is to deglaze the pan a bit.
- Thyme: Fresh. thyme works well here.
- Butter: This will add a little richness to the sauce.
All very simple but very delicious ingredients!
Honestly, what is not to love about sausage, kale, and mushrooms with large pieces of pasta to go with them. The lasagna noodles in this dish add that smooth buttery texture to each bite.
It almost reminds me of egg noodles or expensive homemade pasta!
How to make sausage and kale pasta
This pasta is very easy. Here is what the steps look like (full recipe below)
- Cook Pasta: Cook your lasagna noodles.
- Saute: Brown your sausage, mushrooms, garlic, kale and onions.
- Reduce: your balsamic and add your herbs.
- Mix: The pasta, sausage, and kale and toss together.
- Serve: Top with fresh Parmesan (optional but highly recommended!)
So easy! I actually now buy whole boxes of lasagna noodles just to make this dish because I don't have the patience to wait until I have enough leftover noodles in the pantry.
Tips
- When cooking the sausage, let it cook on medium heat for a long time to get the sausage nice and crispy!
- Add wine instead of vinegar to deglaze the pan. It will add a wonderful flavor to the pasta. You could even use vermouth or a sweet cooking wine.
- Serve with Parmesan cheese. The more the merrier.
- This sausage and kale pasta really makes for great leftovers too. Depending on how much your crew eats, you may want to plan to make extra of this dish if you want leftovers.
More Ways to Use Lasagna Noodles
This sausage and kale pasta started as a way to use up multiple boxes of leftover lasagna noodles (you know when there were 2-3 sheets of lasagna noodles left in each box).
You can break up those lasagna noodles and use them in any pasta recipe, not just this one. In addition to this recipe, I like to add them to a simple San Marzano sauce, garlic butter sauce .
More recipes with sausage
If you love this lasagna noodles with sausage and kale, you may also like these:
Give this sausage and kale pasta a try and I am sure you will love it!
Sausage and Kale With Lasagna Noodles
Ingredients
- 1 package of uncooked lasagna noodles each sheet broken into 3 pieces
- 4 Italian sausage links with the casings removed
- 2 small bunches of kale with the leafy part cut off of the stems and then cut thin (discard stems since they are tough)
- 1 pint Baby bella mushrooms or button mushrooms
- 1 shallot diced
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar or dry vermouth or white wine
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 ½ teaspoon of fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- big pinch of kosher salt
- Parmesan for serving optional but recommended
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. This is for your pasta.big pinch of kosher salt
- Now grab a large heavy bottom saute pan, add 2 tablespoon of your olive oil and heat over medium heat.4 tablespoon olive oil
- When pan is heated add your sausage and brown them while breaking them up into little bits.4 Italian sausage links with the casings removed
- Once browned, remove the sausage from the pan on to a large plate covered with aluminum foil until later.
- With the same pan that you cooked the sausages in, add your mushrooms and shallot and saute for about 4- 5 minutes letting them soak up all of those yummy drippings from the sausage.1 pint Baby bella mushrooms or button mushrooms, 1 shallot
- Now add your kale and saute for about 5-6 minutes until you start to see the kale soften and break down.2 small bunches of kale
- Once the kale cooks down, go ahead and add your garlic and salt and saute for another couple minutes so the garlic can release it's flavor but not burn.3 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Once this is all cooked remove the veggies from the pan, add it to the plate with your sausage and return the pan to the burner.
- Melt your butter on medium heat.3 tablespoon butter
- Once butter is melted, add your balsamic vinegar and thyme and stir and scrape up all of the brown bits in the pan. Do this for about 3-5 minutes or until you see the balsamic reducing.¼ cup balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 1 ½ teaspoon of fresh thyme
- Now go ahead and add back to the pan the sausage and veggies and toss it well so all of the sauce coats it evenly. Cover and turn heat to lowest setting to keep warm.
- Now your pasta water should be boiling so add your broken lasagna noodles and cook until al dente from your pasta's directions.1 package of uncooked lasagna noodles
- When they are nice and al dente, take a mug and scoop out some of that pasta water (in case your sauce needs thinning later) and then drain your pasta.
- Add your pasta back into the pasta pot after it's drained and add the remaining 2 tablespoon of olive oil so your noodles do not stick!
- Now add your sausage, veggies and sauce to that pot, tossing it all together. If your pasta looks to dry just add a ¼ cup or so of your reserved pasta water.
- Pour your pasta into a large serving platter making sure to get all of the bits out of the pot. Serve it with some freshly grated parmesan on top and at the table and enjoy!Parmesan for serving
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer hereTried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
LW says
Why won't oven-ready noodles work in this recipe?
Melissa says
Hi. Thanks for reaching out. Oven ready noodles could work in the recipe but you will have to adjust the cooking time in the recipe for the pasta. Generally, 3-4 minutes are all the oven ready noodles need to cook since they are already partially pre-cooked. I hope this helps 🙂