Tuesday, Jan 25, 2011 1:30 AM UTC

Beer-braised sausage and kale pasta

Best served hot, maybe after a snowy trek through German forests

By Dave Copeland

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Topics: Beer, Germany, Kitchen Challenge, Food, Life News

This entry to the Salon Kitchen Challenge comes to us courtesy of Dave Copeland. We haven’t had a chance to try this recipe yet, but would love to hear about it if you do!

This is a play on Gruenkohl und Pinkel (kale and sausage), a North German specialty traditionally served after “Gruenkohlfahrt,” which is a brisk hike accompanied by schnapps and followed by a meal with a dish similar to this one as a way to celebrate winter.

I’ve combined it with another kale and sausage recipe that uses pasta that I like to have on nights before winter days when I know I’ll be spending a lot of time outside being active.

Beer-braised sausage and kale pasta

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 pound spaghetti
1 white onion, chopped
4 sausages, flavor of your choosing (except breakfast sausage), meat removed from casings, if applicable. Otherwise, slice into bite-size chunks
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound kale leaves, washed, center ribs removed, loosely chopped
1 12-ounce bottle dark beer (porter, stout or dark ale)
1 tablespoon mustard
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Olive oil, as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown sausage meat, breaking up with a wooden spoon.
Remove sausage and add onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.
Toss in garlic and heat until aromatic (do not let garlic burn).
Add kale; it will fill up the entire pot but will wilt quickly and significantly as you stir. Drizzle in a little more olive oil if necessary.
Add sausage back to pot, add beer, bring to a boil and turn down heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 20 minutes or until kale is tender.
Meanwhile, prepare spaghetti according to package directions until al dente.
Stir salt, pepper and mustard into kale.
Stir in freshly grated Parmesan to thicken sauce.
Toss in pasta and allow it to finish cooking in the sauce. Serve in warmed bowls, garnished with parmesan, salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

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Beer-braised sausage and kale pasta

Best served hot, maybe after a snowy trek through German forests