One Pot Zuppa Toscana Pasta

Prep:

Start by chopping all of your veggies and prepping your meats before you turn on the heat. Finely chop the onion, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, kale, and fresh basil so everything is ready to go when the cooking starts moving. Chop the bacon into small pieces. If your Italian sausage comes in a casing, remove it from the casing now. You do not need cased sausage for this and can buy it already ground, which saves you a step. Having everything prepped and laid out matters here because the cooking moves in stages and you do not want to be chopping while something is burning in the pan.

Cooking:

Place a medium high heat pot or deep skillet on the stove and go in with the chopped bacon. Stir it constantly to evenly render the fat and cook it until it is crispy and browned all over, then remove it from the pot and set it aside. The constant stirring is what helps the fat render out evenly and gets you crispy bacon instead of burnt edges and chewy centers.

Take a look at the bacon fat left in the pan and strain a little of it out so the dish does not end up too greasy. You want to leave some behind because that is flavor, but too much will make the whole thing heavy. Go in with the ground Italian sausage and cook it down, breaking it up as it cooks, until you get crispy browned sausage crumbles. Remove the sausage from the pan and set it aside with the bacon.

Here is a hack that makes a real difference. Go in with a little of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar and use that to cook the onions in. That oil is already infused with flavor so it layers even more into the dish. Add the chopped onions and cook them until they are translucent and softened, then go in with the chopped sun dried tomatoes and garlic. Cook this just until it gets fragrant, and be careful not to burn the sun dried tomatoes or the garlic because they can go from perfect to bitter fast.

Add the cooked sausage crumbles and bacon back into the pan, then pour in the uncooked rotini pasta. Incorporate the noodles with the meat and veggie mixture so everything is evenly distributed. Pour in the chicken or beef stock, using enough to cover the noodles, and season with the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, complete seasoning, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper, and that optional dash of nutmeg. The nutmeg is optional but it brings a warm depth to the dish that you will notice, so I recommend using it.

Bring everything to a simmer, then cover the pot and lower the temperature. Let it cook for about 20 minutes until the noodles are tender. When you remove the lid the sauce and base are going to look a little watery, and that is completely fine. Once you add the heavy cream and let it cook down and reduce, it will thicken up and come together perfectly.

Pour in the heavy cream and stir it through until it is fully incorporated. Go in with the chopped kale and combine it into the pasta. Let the kale cook down until it wilts and gets tender before you move on to the next step. You do not want rough, chewy kale in your pasta, so give it the time it needs to soften up properly.

Once the kale has tenderized, go in with the fresh basil and the freshly shredded parmesan cheese. Stir everything together and allow the sauce to keep cooking until it has thickened up and coats the noodles. Taste it and adjust the seasoning if it needs it.

Garnish the finished dish with more parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper, extra bacon crumbles, and a little more fresh basil. Serve it up with garlic bread or crostinis on the side.

TIPS AND TRICKS:

-Do all of your chopping and meat prep before you turn on the heat. The recipe moves in stages and having the kale, onions, garlic, basil, and sun dried tomatoes ready keeps you from scrambling while something is cooking in the pan.

-Stir the bacon constantly while it renders. This helps the fat cook out evenly and gives you crispy bacon across the board instead of spots that are burnt and spots that are still chewy.

-Strain a little of the bacon grease out of the pan before you add the sausage. You want some of that fat for flavor but leaving too much in makes the whole dish greasy and heavy. A quick pour off is all it takes.

-You do not need cased sausage for this. Buy ground Italian sausage straight from the package and skip removing it from the casing entirely, which saves you a step.

-Use a spoonful of the oil from the sun dried tomato jar to cook the onions in. It is already infused with flavor and layers extra depth into the base of the dish without any extra effort.

-Watch the sun dried tomatoes and garlic closely once they go in the pan. They cook fast and can burn quickly, which turns them bitter. Pull them off as soon as everything is fragrant.

-Do not panic when the pasta is done and the sauce looks thin and watery after you remove the lid. Once the heavy cream goes in and the whole thing reduces for a few minutes it thickens up into a rich, creamy sauce that coats the noodles perfectly.

-Let the kale cook down until it is tender before moving on. Tough, chewy kale ruins the texture of the dish, so give it the time it needs to wilt and soften before you add the basil and cheese.

-Use the nutmeg even though it is optional. A small dash adds a warm, savory note that rounds the whole dish out and makes it taste like it came out of a restaurant kitchen.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH THIS:

-Garlic bread or crostinis are the classic pairing and the perfect way to soak up every bit of that creamy sauce left in the bottom of your bowl. Toast them up golden and serve them right alongside the pasta.

-A simple side salad with mixed greens, a light vinaigrette, and some shaved parmesan cuts through the richness of the dish and adds some freshness and crunch to balance out the creamy pasta.

-Crusty bread with a little butter or olive oil for dipping works great if you want something simpler than garlic bread but still want that vehicle for the sauce.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Can I use a different type of pasta?

You can. Rotini works great because the spirals hold onto the sauce and the little crumbles of sausage, but any short pasta like penne, fusilli, or farfalle will do the job. Keep an eye on the cook time since different shapes absorb liquid at slightly different rates, and add a splash more stock if it looks like it is drying out before the noodles are tender.

Why is my sauce watery after the pasta is done cooking?

That is normal and expected. Right when you take the lid off the base is going to look loose and thin, but once you stir in the heavy cream and let it reduce for a few minutes it thickens up into a creamy sauce. Give it a little time on the heat after adding the cream and it will come together.

Do I have to use cased sausage?

No. You can buy ground Italian sausage straight from the store and skip removing it from the casing. If you do have cased sausage, just slice it open and pull the meat out before you cook it.

Can I make this ahead of time?

You can. This pasta stores well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. When you reheat it, do it on the stove over low heat with a splash of stock or cream to loosen the sauce back up. The flavors actually deepen after a day in the fridge, so it makes great leftovers.

What can I use instead of heavy cream?

Heavy cream gives you the richest, thickest sauce. If you want something lighter you can use half and half, just know the sauce will be a little thinner and not quite as luxurious. Stir in a little extra parmesan to help it thicken up if needed.