I came across an image of some beautiful pasta on Tastespotting, clicked the image and came upon a recipe on a blog called Bitchin' Camero. While I neglected to make it right away, it was memorable enough for me to go hunting for it. I did that and tonight we're having it for the first time. Not to be the last, let me tell you what.
Chickpea, Sausage and Kale Pasta
1/4 c olive oil
1-15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
12 oz Aidells Cajun-style andouille sausages, chopped
1-15 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 tsp minced garlic
3 c chopped kale (washed, stems removed)
1 lb.penne farfalle pasta
Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil; once hot add chickpeas and sausage, cooking until the chickpeas and sausage start to brown, 8–10 minutes
12 oz Aidells Cajun-style andouille sausages, chopped
1-15 oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 tsp minced garlic
3 c chopped kale (washed, stems removed)
1 lb.
Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil; once hot add chickpeas and sausage, cooking until the chickpeas and sausage start to brown, 8–10 minutes
Add the garlic and cook for an additional two minutes.
Add tomatoes and kale. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, scrape up any sausage and chickpeas that stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Cook until the kale is wilted and tender, about 8 minutes Remove from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking until until almost al dente. Drain pasta and toss with the sausage chickpea mixture in the skillet.
Drizzle more olive oil into the mixture if the pasta looks too dry. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.
This pasta turned out to be good. I mean so damned good that I will not mind eating the majority of it over the course of the week as the capsaicin in the sausage became dispersed throughout every morsel of the dish and reduced Rodney's colon to a worse mess than the shambles it was in previously. However, Rodney did agree that this dish, flavor-wise, was in a word, excellent.
While you could go with any variety of sausage in any flavor, I loved the Aidells Cajun-Style Andouille. The sausage packs a little heat, but when cooked like this, kapow! The heat is unleashed and is furious enough to be enjoyable. Considering the ingredients of this simple dish, the majority of the flavor is coming from the sausage, so choose wisely.
When I make it again, and I will, be sure of that, it'll be nearly an exact repeat. Next time I will use 5 cups of kale (a full bunch -- I'd reserved some for making into chips which I never got around to), the quantity called for in Bitchin' Camero's original recipe.
And lastly, the browned chickpeas, while tasty, didn't have that typical annoying tendency of rolling to the bottom of the bowl, leaving a pile of beans. I liked that a lot.
Cost:
- chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans: $0.89/can
- Aidells Cajun-style andouille sausage: $5.99/12 oz
- fire-roasted diced tomatoes: $1.19
- kale: $1.49
- farfalle: $1.00
- plus some extra SWAG for oil, garlic and cheese: $0.50
Click for the printable
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