Sweet and Citrusy Sausage Pasta

Before this recipe, I had never heard of apple gouda or citrus kale sausage. They had been in the freezer for a few days, and I was stumped as to what I should do with them. The color and unknown taste intimidated me, but at the same it was intriguing.

In the past, sausage links or ground Italian sausage were some of the only types of meat that I would include in pasta. With all the other ingredients needed to cook a simple pasta in my pantry, there was no reason as to why I shouldn't try out these new sausages.

Experimenting with apple gouda and citrus kale was definitely one of the best decisions. There are packs of sweetness from the apple gouda and acidity from the citrus kale in every bite. Even though the color was unappealing at first, the pop of color the citrus kale sausage gives is another bonus. The blend of flavors from the cheese, sausages, and simple sauce keeps making me want to revisit this dish again.

Ingredients

• 1 pound mezzi rigatoni or ziti

• 3 links apple gouda sausage

• 3 links citrus kale sausage

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1/4 cup (40g) onion, diced

• 2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup (118ml) water or white wine

• 1/2 cup (50g) or more grated Parmesan or sharp white cheddar cheese

• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

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Directions

1. Fill a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. I add a drizzle of olive oil to prevent the pasta from sticking to each other. Cook the pasta until tender and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the rest of the water.

2. Bring a medium sized saucepan with water to boil. Lower the heat for the water to simmer, and add the sausage links. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Drain the sausages and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove the casing and roughly chop the sausage into bite size pieces. Set aside.

3. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add the butter, minced garlic, and diced onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the onion starts to become translucent.

4. Add the roughly chopped sausages, allowing it to brown for 4-5 minutes.

5. Pour in the reserved pasta water and the additional 1/2 cup of water or white wine. Simmer the mixture for 4-5 minutes.

6. Toss in the cooked pasta, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. Using a spatula, mix around the pasta to coat with the sauce. Top with more grated cheese to fit your taste.

7. Enjoy, and satisfy your craving!