Sausage Tortellini Alfredo with Kale
Pure comfort food: creamy, delicious, and so easy to make. It's ready in about 30 minutes and has incredible flavor thanks to Italian sausage, tender cheese tortellini, and a smidge of fresh kale and lemon.
Ingredients
- 18-20 ounces refrigerated tortellini any flavor
- 10 ounces Italian sausage see note
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 3/4 cup chicken broth low-sodium preferred
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 10-12 cranks freshly-ground black pepper
- 2-3 cups curly kale washed and cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook just to al dente, according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- While the tortellini cooks, make the sauce. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook for 4-5 minutes, until well-browned and cooked through. Stir and break apart the pieces as you go.
- Remove sausage from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside in a paper towel-lined bowl or plate.
- Add butter to the same skillet. When melted, whisk in the flour and cook for 60 seconds.
- Reduce heat to medium and whisk in the broth and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits.
- Add cream or half and half and black pepper. Whisk until smooth, then let the sauce simmer for 1-2 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Stir in the kale and the Parmesan. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add a bit more broth or cream. Sample and add salt and/or more pepper to taste.
- Return sausage to the pan, together with the cooked tortellini. Stir well, serve, and enjoy!
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Notes
- Sausage: You can use either ground Italian sausage, which is typically sold in a flat pack, much like ground beef or ground chicken. This is the easiest. You can also use links of Italian sausage, slice open the casing, then scrape the sausage inside into the skillet and proceed with the recipe as directed. The amount of sausage used is also very flexible and forgiving - if you want to use a whole package, or slightly less, you can easily do so without changing anything else in the recipe.
- For a little Kick: Add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes right at the end. If some people like heat and others don't, add to individual plates or pass red pepper in a small bowl at the table.
- Serving Estimates: This yields 6 portions if served alongside other things (salad, green beans, garlic bread, etc.). You might want to plan on 4 larger portions for a one-pot meal.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 646 kcal, Carbohydrates: 41 g, Protein: 25 g, Fat: 43 g, Saturated Fat: 21 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12 g, Trans Fat: 0.2 g, Cholesterol: 129 mg, Sodium: 909 mg, Potassium: 271 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 4 g, Vitamin A: 2996 IU, Vitamin C: 22 mg, Calcium: 313 mg, Iron: 3 mg