Italian-American · main

Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Pasta

Sausage, Kale, and White Bean Pasta reads umami 6.8, richness 5.9 and salinity 5.2 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Italian-American main, about 36 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 7.6 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 2.5 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 0.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.1 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 6.5 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 5.1 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.8 · Richness 5.9 · Salinity 5.2 · Allium 4.7 · Sweetness 2.3 · Funk & Ferment 2.2 · Heat 2.1 · Nutty 2.0 · Earthy 1.7 · Herbaceous 1.7 · Bitterness 1.5 · Warm Spice 1.4 · Smoke 1.1 · Sourness 0.8 · Fruity 0.6 · Floral 0.6

What's in it (13)

• shell pasta — 340 g
• olive oil — 14 g
• hot italian sausage — 454 g
• yellow onion — 110 g
• garlic — 12 g
• red chili flakes — 3 g
• cannellini bean — 425 g
• low-salt chicken broth — 237 g
• bunch kale — 227 g
• unsalted butter — 27 g
• parmesan cheese — 57 g
• salt — 5 g
• freshly ground black pepper — 3 g

Time & effort: about 36 min (35 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 126.1 kcal, 7.5 g protein, 4.6 g fat, 16.3 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (10 steps)

1. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente, about 10-11 minutes; reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small crumbles with a spoon, and cook until deeply browned and cooked through (internal temperature of at least 160°F, no pink remaining), 6-7 minutes.
3. Add the onion to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, 4-5 minutes.
4. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add the cannellini beans and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring to a simmer.
6. Stir in the kale in batches, letting each addition wilt before adding more, until all the kale is tender and bright green, 3-4 minutes.
7. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter until melted and glossy.
8. Add the drained pasta to the skillet along with 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water; toss to coat, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
9. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, salt, and black pepper until the sauce turns creamy and clings to the pasta; taste and adjust the seasoning.
10. Divide among bowls and top with extra Parmesan.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole — American
• Spinach Artichoke Baked Pasta — Italian-American
• Erbazzone Reggiano — Italian · Emilia-Romagna
• Turkey Meatballs in Marinara over Spaghetti — Italian-American
• Caldo Gallego — Spanish

Keep reading: what umami, richness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.