FARFALLE WITH SAUSAGE, KALE, AND TOMATOES

Read Time: 7 minutes
by Karen
20 comments

I love this simple pasta with sausage, kale, and cherry tomatoes. It’s not only easy and delicious but it can be made in the time it takes to boil a pot of pasta allowing me to get dinner on the table in under 30 minutes. This dish brings together the hearty goodness of savory Italian sausage, the earthy notes of fresh kale, and the vibrant sweetness of ripe tomatoes, all harmoniously combined with perfectly cooked farfalle pasta. It’s a satisfying and balanced meal that’s quick to prepare, making it an ideal choice for both busy weeknights and special occasions.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s an easy and cheap meal.
It’s quick to make. It takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish.
The recipe is fully customizable. Swap out or use whatever ingredients you have.
This dish is a complete meal as it contains starch, protein, and a green vegetable.
Who doesn’t love pasta?

What Ingredients Do I Need

Farfalle pasta – Otherwise known as bow-tie pasta.
Sausage – Casings removed. You can use any type but I like hot Italian.
Kale – Either regular green kale or Tuscan will work.
Cherry tomatoes
Garlic
Chili flakes – Optional.
Extra virgin olive oil

A bowl of farfalle pasta surrounded by tomatoes, kale, raw sausage, and garlic.

How To Make Farfalle with Sausage, Kale, and Tomatoes

Boil water for pasta – Start by putting a large pot of water on high heat to boil.
Prepare garlic – Crush each whole clove of garlic a little bit with a knife and remove the skins. Do not cut the cloves. You want them whole.

Someone crushing a clove of garlic with a knife.

Someone removing skins from a clove of garlic

Heat garlic and chili flakes (if using) – Add EVOO to a large saute pan and add the garlic. Turn the heat to low and cook the garlic for a few minutes making sure not to let it brown.
Add chili flakes – If using.

A frying pan with olive oil, garlic and chili flakes in it.

Cook farfalle – When the water has come to a full boil, add a generous amount of salt to the pot and add the pasta. Add the pasta to the water and cook according to the directions on the box for al dente. Make sure to stir once in a while so the pasta doesn’t stick to itself.
Remove sausage casings – While the garlic and chili flakes are heating cut the sausage casings down the middle and remove the sausage meat.
Cook sausage – Remove the cooked garlic and add the sausage meat to the pan. Use a spoon or spatula to break the meat into smaller pieces while it cooks.

Someone removing the casings from sausages.

A frying pan of broken up sausage meat cooking.

Prepare kale – While the sausage meat is cooking, remove the tough stems from the kale by slicing alongside the stems or ripping the leaves from the stems by hand. Chop the leaves into smaller pieces.
Slice tomatoes – Slice tomatoes in half.

Someone slicing cherry tomatoes in half.

Cook kale – When the sausage has browned slightly, add the kale to the pan and cook until it has softened.
Add tomatoes – When the kale has cooked down add the cherry tomatoes and cook until just heated through.

Somoeone adding chopped kale to a frying pan with sausage meat.

Someone addnig cherry tomatoes to a frying pan with sausage meat and kale.

Add pasta – When the pasta is cooked to al dente use a slotted spoon to lift it from the water and add it straight to the pan with the sausage mixture. It’s alright if it’s not completely drained. You want a little of that pasta water in the sausage mixture.
Add pasta water – Use a ladle to add a little of the pasta cooking water to the frying pan and combine all ingredients well. Add enough pasta water to make sure the mixture is fluid. You don’t want it soupy but you should be able to see a little liquid on the bottom of the pan. The olive oil and the pasta water will emulsify and make the pasta a little saucy.

Someone adding farfalle pasta to sausage mixture in a frying pan.

Someone using a ladle to add pasta cooking water to a sausage, kale mixture in a pan

Serve – Spoon into pasta bowls and top with lots of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

A bowl of farfalle pasta with sausage, kale and tomatoes.

Recipe Tips and Tricks For Success

Take care not to burn the garlic or it will turn bitter. The best way is to start the garlic in a cold pan with oil and then slowly start heating it.
Cook kale until it has softened or it may be chewy.
Add cherry tomatoes at the last minute and cook until just heated through.
Don’t overcook the pasta. You want it to be al dente when you add it to the sausage mixture. It will continue to cook with the sausage mixture and absorb all those delicious flavors.
Do add some of the pasta cooking water. It will combine with the oil to make a creamy sauce mixture that will only get creamier when you add parmigiana cheese.

Recipe Variations

The great thing about this recipe is that it is totally customizable. Feel free to use your favorite sausage. I like using hot Italian sausages but you could use sweet or even garlic sausages. Don’t have kale? Feel free to use spinach instead. As for the quantity of the ingredients, use whatever you want or have on hand. If you like tomatoes, add more. If you need to use up the kale in the fridge add more. Short on an ingredient? Just add what you have. It will still be great. You could also use another type of short pasta like orecchiette, fusilli, shells, or even rigatoni. However, I would recommend avoiding a long pasta like spaghetti or linguini. Ideally, you want a pasta shape that will hold some of the sausage mixture.

A bowl of farfalle pasta with kale, sausage and cherry tomatoes.

Recipe Substitutions

If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, you could totally use your favorite gluten-free pasta. For a vegetarian version swap out the sausage for a meat-free substitute.

Storage Tips

This pasta stores very well. The pasta will no longer be al dente but it will still be tasty. Keep leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for a minute or 2 or heat in a pan with a little more olive oil.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS;

What does farfalle mean in Italy? Farfalle is the Italian word for butterfly. In North America we commonly call this pasta shape, "bow-tie" but it's easy to see why Italians gave it the name "butterfly". 

How much dry pasta per person? A typical serving is around 75 -85 grams (2 -3 ounces) of dry pasta per person. However, how much pasta you use will also depend on the type of sauce you are serving it with. With sauces that contain more ingredients like meat and vegetables you can use a little less pasta.

Are you supposed to boil or simmer pasta? As the water will cool a bit when you add the pasta, you want to make sure that it has come to a full, rolling boil before adding the pasta. Once the pasta has been added bring the water back to a vigorous boil and keep it there for the duration of the cooking time.

Should I rinse cooked pasta with cold water? No! Italians never rinse their pasta. While rinsing does stop the cooking process, it washes away all of that starchy goodness that is released from the pasta as it cooks. The starch is what helps the sauce stick to the pasta. The only time you might want to rinse cooked pasta is if you are using it for a cold dish like a pasta salad. 

How much salt do you put in boiling water for pasta? The recommended amount is 17g (1 tbsp) of table salt per 3.7 litres (1 gallon or 4 quarts) of water and 454g (1 lb) of pasta. As the Italians say, "you want the water to taste like the sea".