Pasta with Italian Sausage and Collard Greens

Ingredients

• 1 bunch collard greens stems removed, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced crosswise into half inch slices
• 2-3 T olive oil
• 1 T minced garlic
• 1 tsp. hot pepper flakes, optional
• 3 links hot turkey Italian Sausage, or more
• 1 cup macaroni or whole wheat macaroni
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions

1. Fill a small pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add the sausage, reduce the heat so the water barely simmers, and cook for 10 minutes. Set the sausage aside until it is cool enough to handle, then slice it.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the sliced collards and cook for 5-7 minutes, just until they are tender and still bright. Lift the collards out and drain them, leaving the water in the pot and returning it to a boil.
3. Once the water is boiling again, stir in the pasta and a generous amount of salt. Cook for 9-10 minutes, until the pasta is done but still very al dente. Drain it, saving about 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
4. While the pasta is cooking, warm 2 T olive oil in a large skillet. Add the sausage slices and cook until both sides are nicely browned. Take the sausage out of the pan.
5. Add the remaining T olive oil if you want it, then add the garlic and the red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
6. Add the collards and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the sausage, pasta, and enough reserved cooking water to loosen everything, then cook for 2 minutes more, or until the pasta and sausage are hot. Taste, add salt and pepper as needed, and serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.