Chef notes
Tube shaped pasta catches all the bits of sausage and escarole, which ensures that every bite is full of flavor. This recipe uses only the coarser outer leaves of escarole, so save the inner parts of the head for salad or another recipe.
Swap option: If you can't find mezzi rigatoni, use another tube-shaped pasta, such as ziti, penne or regular rigatoni.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1¼ pounds sweet Italian sausage without fennel seeds (about 6 links), casings removed
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 heads escarole, outer leaves only, coarsely chopped (about 10 cups)
- 1 pound mezzi rigatoni
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- 1 cup grated Grana Padano
Preparation
1.Bring a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta.
2.Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the sausage. Break the meat up with a wooden spoon, and cook until it's no longer pink, about 5 to 6 minutes.
3.Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and let sizzle a minute. Add the chopped escarole, in batches if necessary, and season with the salt. Cover the escarole, and let it wilt, about 3 to 4 minutes.
4.Meanwhile, add the pasta to the water. Once the escarole has wilted, uncover and add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the escarole is tender and the sauce has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
5.When the pasta is al dente, remove it with a skimmer and transfer directly to the sauce. Toss to coat the pasta with the sauce, adding a little pasta water if it seems dry. Turn off the heat, and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Toss and serve.
Reprinted from Lidia's Celebrate Like an Italian: 220 Foolproof Recipes That Make Every Meal a Party by Lidia Bastianich. Published by Knopf a division of Penguin Random House. Copyright © 2017.
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