Fusilli with Spicy Sausage and Swiss Chard

Fusilli might win the award for "most fun noodle shape".

Those little spirals make you feel like a kid again, playfully eating silly noodle shapes (perhaps with a neon orange cheesy sauce?? 😉 ).

Fusilli sometimes gets a bad rap as the quintessential "pasta salad noodle", but I think it works wonders in warm dishes.

Unlike dishes with straight noodles like penne, all the little crevices in the fusilli trap the herbs, cheeses, sauces, and seasonings, basically guaranteeing huge flavor in every bite.

I

I know I've been on a pasta kick lately, but this impromptu meal was too good not to share.

It's a huge pot of noodles tossed with spicy sausage, fresh herbs, feta cheese, and swiss chard.

This is a great way to sneak some extra leafy greens into your week.

I've been eating a lot more chard and kale ever since I signed up for an Imperfect Produce delivery box!

There's nothing more motivating than the arrival of several giant bunches of greens at your doorstep. You've gotta get cooking with them before they start to wilt!

And it doesn't get much easier than adding some greens to your pasta.

Simply wash well, roughly chop the leaves, and cook just enough to wilt (but stay vibrant green). Toss with the pasta, cheeses, and herbs, and you're done!

PS if you're gluten free, this dish would work well with quinoa or corn pasta, and you can totally swap out the pasta shape for any other fun, sauce-grabbing noodle like farfalle, shells, or radiatori.

Fusilli with Spicy Sausage and Swiss Chard

5 from 1 vote

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Prep20 mins

Cook25 mins

Total45 mins

Servings: 6

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Ingredients 

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 16 to 19 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large bunches Swiss chard, stems removed, leaves cut into ½ inch strips
• 1 ½ cups beef stock
• 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
• 12 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook, using a spatula to break it up into small pieces. Continue cooking until the sausage is well browned, about 15 minutes. 
• Add the minced garlic to the sausage and let cook for 1 minute or so, until fragrant. Then remove the sausage and garlic to a plate and set it aside for later.
• Return the skillet to the stove top. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and all of the beef broth to the skillet. Bring to a boil and let cook for 1 minute to reduce slightly. Add the chard and cook, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the chard is tender. 
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fusilli and cook according to package directions, about 10 minutes. When the pasta is tender, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
• Add the drained fusilli to the skillet that has the Swiss chard. Add the sausage back to the skillet as well and toss to combine. Add a bit of the reserved pasta water if the pasta seems dry. Sprinkle the pasta with the feta cheese and fresh herbs. Season generously with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, and drizzle with another two tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to combine, then serve.

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