Penne with Chicken Sausage and Veggies

I'm a teacher. Have I ever told you that? I love my job, and one of the (huge) perks is having the summers off. My husband and I just bought a house, but it's about 6 weeks until we close on it. Until then, my summer projects are to organize, throw away unneeded junk, pack, and cook/eat as much food from the fridge, freezer, and pantry as we can so I don't have to move it. I enjoy the challenge of cleaning out all the food in the freezer each summer so that I know my meats, veggies, etc, aren't more than a year old. It's a fun way for me to spend my summer nights. Plus, it helps me pinch a few pennies on our tight teacher salaries. Tonight's inspiration came from a friend's Facebook picture of penne with spinach and peppers. Instead of running to the grocery store, I forced myself to use only what I had on hand. In doing so, I came up with this tasty treat. I'm sure it can easily be doubled to feed more than 2.


1/2 pound penne pasta
2 Al Fresco Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausages, sliced into 1/4-1/2 inch circles
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 medium shallot, chopped
1 large roasted red pepper, diced
2 sun dried tomatoes, diced
1 cup baby kale
3 shakes red pepper flakes
10 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Set the timer for 2 minutes less than the suggested cooking time.
2. Coat the bottom of a medium pan with olive oil and heat over medium high heat.
3. Add the chicken sausages, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Brown the chicken on both sides, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the shallot and begin to brown, about 1 minute, then add the garlic for an additional minute.
5. Add the roasted pepper and sundries tomatoes. Use the oils that cling and drip from both the pepper and tomatoes to add to the pan and flavor the sauce. Add about 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water to the pan.
6. Add the kale and wilt. Add another 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water to the pan. This starchy, salty water will bind the oils, making a nice sauce.
7. When the pasta is finished cooking, add to the pan and toss with the chicken and veggies, allowing it to finish cooking in the sauce. Add additional cooking water as needed and a drizzle of fresh olive oil.
8. Add the fresh basil to the pasta and toas. Grate the Parmesan cheese over the pasta so that it melts in the sauce.
9. Serve with additional freshly grated cheese.