Springtime Pasta

This is a springier version of the classic (or not-so-classic) orecchiette with sausage & broccoli rabe. Here we used a mix of cooking greens, goat cheese, and walnuts to brighten up the dish.

You'll need:
4 large handfuls cooking greens, cleaned & trimmed (kale, chard, collard, mustard, etc)
1 lb spicy Italian bulk sausage
1 shallots, sliced
2-3 spring garlic, sliced
1/2c dry red wine
1T red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 lemon
1/2c walnuts, toasted
1 box campanelle pasta (my new favorite!)

Boil water for pasta.

Heat olive oil. Saute shallots and garlic, stirring to make sure they don't burn, for about 4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and saute 2 minutes.

Put pasta on to cook.

Add sausage, breaking it up into very tiny pieces with a wooden spatula. Let a lot of the fat burn off and the sausage brown slightly. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and red pepper to taste.

Deglaze with red wine; cook until wine is absorbed.

Add greens, tearing them into small pieces as you add them. Cook until wilted.

Add just-undercooked pasta with some of its cooking water (about 1/2c) to the sausage & greens. Stir to combine.

Zest lemon onto pasta; stir. The water should be cooked away; taste and add more water if too dry.

Add goat cheese; mix (or serve dotted with goat cheese). Top with crumbled walnuts to serve.