Rigatoni with Sausage, Kale, and Creamy White Bean Sauce

Even if you didn’t dart off to the store to line your pantry the moment you heard restaurants were closing their dining room doors, there are likely beans and a box of pasta in your cupboard. I’ll admit, unless it’s tangy, brown sugar baked beans being dolloped onto a plate alongside chargrilled burgers, I’m not particularly a fanatic of the fiber-rich side. And that’s where the genius of this carby creation comes in. The beans become the star through the power of puréeing and morph from mundane rounds into a velvety sauce that smothers juicy sausage, nutrient-packed kale, and rigatoni.

1 lb rigatoni

3 T extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb ground mild Italian sausage

2 t coarse salt, divided

1 t freshly ground black pepper, divided

¼ t crushed red pepper flakes

2 small shallots, diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 T chopped fresh sage

3 T chopped fresh parsley, divided

½ c grated parmesan cheese, divided

2 c low-sodium chicken stock

2 c packed chopped fresh kale

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Just before draining, reserve ½ cup of the starchy cooking water.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the sausage, and season it with 1 teaspoon of the salt, ½ teaspoon of the pepper, and the red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.

Add the shallots, garlic, beans, sage, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon of pepper. Sauté until very fragrant, about two minutes, and then deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, scraping to remove any brown bits from the bottom. Transfer half of the bean-stock mixture to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Return the sausage to the pan along with the cooked pasta, kale, and ¼ cup of the parmesan. Toss, adding a few tablespoons of the reserved pasta water at a time, until the kale is wilted and the sauce clings to the pasta. Season to taste, add additional salt and pepper, if necessary.

Divide the pasta among plates and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, ¼ cup parmesan, and 2 tablespoons parsley. *Serves four