Fresh kale and mustard greens mingle with sweet Italian sausage in this easy baked pasta entrée sure to please the whole family.
Baked Pasta with Greens and Sausage
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage
- 1 (16-ounce) package gigli pasta, cooked according to package instructions
- 1 cup chopped fresh kale
- 1 cup chopped fresh mustard greens
- 1 (8-ounce) package fresh mozzarella cheese pearls
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°. Spray a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until flour is lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk until smooth. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes. Whisk in salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until fully cooked and nicely browned, about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine sausage, pasta, kale, mustard greens, mozzarella, and béchamel. Transfer mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. Serve with Parmesan, if desired.
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