Recipe

Pear Alfredo with Crispy Sausage

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

● 1 pound Orecchiette Pasta, dry
● 2 tablespoons Butter
● 2 firm Bartlett pears, peeled and cut into a 1⁄2″ dice
● 2 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, chopped
● 1 teaspoon Coarse Salt
● 1⁄2 cup White Wine
● 2 cups Heavy Cream
● 3⁄4 cup Pecorino Romano, grated
● Ground Black Pepper
● 2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
● 8 ounces Italian Sausage (mild or spicy), casings removed
● 2 cups Kale, chopped

Instructions:

1. Cook the Orecchiette:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette pasta according to
the package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water for
finishing the pasta.
2. Make the sauce, season, and simmer:
While the pasta is cooking, heat a separate large frying pan over
medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Add the sausage (with casings removed) to the pan and break it up into small pieces using a wooden spoon.
Cook the sausage until it is browned and crispy, about 8-10 minutes.
Add the chopped kale to the pan and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the kale is wilted. Remove the sausage kale crumble from the pan and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat.

3. Make the Pear and Pecorino Sauce:
In the same pan used for the sausage, melt the butter over medium-high
heat. Add the diced pears, rosemary, and coarse salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, or until the pears are soft.Pour in the white wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8-10 minutes, or until the cream has thickened and reduced by half.
Turn off the heat and gently stir in the grated Pecorino Romano.

4. Combine and Serve:
When the orecchiette is al dente, drain the water (reserve 1 cup of the cooking
water) and place the pasta back in the pot. Pour the cream sauce over the pasta and toss to coat, adding pasta water one tablespoon at a time until the sauce is light and creamy.
Serve the orecchiette immediately, topped with the sausage sage kale
crumble, freshly ground black pepper, and more grated pecorino if desired.