Athena Calderone's Orecchiette With Kale, Fennel & Sausage
I’ve made many variations of this dish over the years, but I’ve never included fresh fennel. So when I came across this version of Orecchiette with Kale, Fennel & Sausage in my new Cook Beautiful cookbook, I had a feeling it was going to be a keeper. Since these quarantining times are very much about substituting the ingredients you have at home vs. heading to the market each time you run out of something a recipe might call for, I swapped the kale for spinach in this dish. I’m sure I’ll try it in the future with kale, but it was perfectly delicious with spinach. I also had closer to a pound of pork sausage in the fridge but didn’t feel it needed the extra half pound. But that’s a personal preference, as I’d rather load up on more fennel and greens. And it’s one of the simplest and quickest recipes I’ve made over the past two months, so I highly recommend it.
Note: Some of my Kitchen Favorites above: Mercer bowls from Crate & Barrel. Cutipol cutlery.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1½ pounds fresh Italian pork sausage, removed from their casings (I prefer a half-and-half mix of sweet and spicy)
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 fennel bulb, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
⅔ cup chicken stock
1 bunch lacinato kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
1 pound dried orecchiette pasta
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
Freshly cracked pepper, for serving
Preparation
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until it’s browned on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and transfer it to a plate.
Add the garlic to the same skillet and sauté for 2 minutes, until light golden. Add the shallot and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the red pepper fakes, if using, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the fennel and salt and sauté until the fennel has softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the stock and cook a few minutes more.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the kale to the boiling water and blanch it for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the kale and add it to the skillet, along with the sausage. Return the water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the package directions until al dente.
Drain the pasta into a colander, making sure to reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Add the pasta to the skillet and cook it with the sausage and kale over low heat for 1 to 2minutes. If the pasta is dry, moisten it with the reserved pasta water, adding ¼ cup at a time. Check and adjust the seasoning.
Finish the pasta with grated cheese and freshly cracked pepper. Serve immediately
