Penne with Sausage and Cabbage
(Penne con Salsiccia e Cavolo)
Ingredients:
1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed, cut into small pieces
1 small savoy cabbage (about 1 lb), cut into 6 pieces
3 cups warm Marinara Sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 lb Penne pasta
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Place cabbage in a large pot.
Cover with cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce heat to medium and cook until just soft, about 5-7 minutes.
Drain.
Plunge cabbage into ice water.
Drain again, and pat dry.
Cut into bite-size pieces and set aside.
Heat olive oil with garlic in a large saute pan over medium heat.
Add sausage and saute until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.
Add cabbage.
Season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring a few times, about 2-3 minutes.
Add marinara sauce and cook until flavors blend, about 5 minutes.
Cook Penne pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but firm, 7-12 minutes.
Drain, return to pot, stir in some sauce.
Transfer to a platter and top with remaining sauce.
Serve with grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Serves 6.