This shelf holds one good sausage, so slice it thick and let it brown, then build a quick cream sauce to coat pasta and wilt kale right in. A warming weeknight dinner that takes twenty minutes start to finish.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 20 at the stove.

About 930 calories a serving, 39 g protein, 68 g carbohydrate, 56 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and cook 6 oz pasta until just al dente, about nine minutes, then drain and set aside, keeping 1/2 cup pasta water.9 min
2. While the pasta cooks, slice the sausage on a bias into half-inch [1.25 cm] thick pieces. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and lay the sausage in one layer until it browns and renders fat, about four minutes, then turn each piece and cook one minute more until the second side has colour.5 min
3. Mince 2 garlic cloves and add them to the sausage, stirring for thirty seconds until fragrant. Pour in 3/4 cup cream and bring it to a gentle simmer, then add 4 oz chopped kale and stir until it wilts, about two minutes.3 min
4. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat in sauce. If the sauce looks thick, pour in 1/4 cup reserved pasta water to loosen it. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and taste, seasoning with salt and pepper.1 min

Note Swap the kale for any hearty greens or mushrooms if needed. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water to restore the sauce. Serve with crusty bread to wipe the pan.