Easy Pasta with Italian Chicken Sausage and Escarole Rustic Weeknight Dish

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. While waiting, prepare the escarole, onion, and garlic.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crumbled sausage and red pepper flakes. Cook until deeply browned and cooked through (about 6-8 minutes). Remove sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil to the sausage fat. Add diced onion and sauté until softened (3 minutes). Add sliced garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute—do not let it burn!).
4. Pour in the white wine. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (deglaze). Let the wine reduce by half.
5. Add the orecchiette to the boiling water and cook according to package directions, aiming for 2 minutes less than al dente.
6. Add the chopped escarole directly into the skillet with the aromatics and stir until it begins to wilt down significantly (about 3 minutes).
7. Pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer. Return the cooked sausage to the skillet.
8. Use a spider strainer or tongs to transfer the undercooked pasta directly from the water into the skillet.
9. Toss everything together vigorously over medium heat, allowing the pasta to finish cooking in the sauce (about 2 minutes). Add the grated Parmesan cheese and a splash of reserved starchy pasta water if the sauce looks too dry. Toss until the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta.
10. Stir in most of the fresh parsley. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve immediately in warm bowls, drizzled with good olive oil and a final shower of Parmesan.