Pinterest Pasta Prompt

This is going to come as a complete shocker, but I was racking my brain, trying to figure out what to make for dinner tonight, and I turned in desperation to Pinterest for help. I found this luscious-looking pasta picture that I had pinned ages ago, but there was no recipe because the link was broken (boo hiss). Still, I used the picture and description as a jump-off and an inspiration to whip up my own version of a fabulous dish for din-din, with both chicken and spicy sausage, mascarpone, sundried tomatoes, lemon, onions, garlic, parmesan, and (thanks to my friend, Janice, who has been out of town a lot lately and lets me raid her garden) some homegrown kale. SO GOOD!

Pasta with Chicken, Sausage, Mascarpone, Sundried Tomatoes and Kale

1 lb. large shell pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1/4 cup finely-chopped sundried tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch red pepper flakes
2 cups (or so) stemmed kale, chopped (you could use fresh spinach)
zest and juice of one lemon
8 oz. mascarpone, room temp.
1/4 cup shredded parmesan, more for garnish
2 cooked, seasoned chicken breasts, sliced*
2 cooked sausages, sliced*

Cook the pasta according to package instructions, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet and saute the onions until tender. Add the garlic, sundried tomatoes, pepper, red pepper flakes, and kale and saute until the kale is wilted and tender. Add the lemon zest and juice, and remove from the heat. Stir in the mascarpone and parmesan until the cheese is no longer lumpy.

Combine the vegetable and cheese mixture with the cooked pasta and the chicken and sausage pieces. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with another sprinkle of parmesan before serving.

 

*I happened to have these things leftover in the fridge that needed to be used up. Throw in whatever extra protein(s) you have from summer grilling. And actually, it tastes fabulous without any meat at all, if you don't have any on hand. Make it for Meatless Monday!