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    Home » Recipes » Weight Watcher Recipes

    Rigatoni with Sausage and Kale

    Published: Nov 2, 2024 by Jenna · This post may contain affiliate links · 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Rigatoni with sausage and kale is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes with hearty pasta, sausage, and kale. Save this recipe for a date night when you don't want to go out to eat.

    Rigatoni with sausage and kale is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes with hearty pasta, sausage, and kale. Save this recipe for a date night when you don't want to go out to eat.

    I have to admit that kale isn’t a green I reach for quite often, but after trying it in this rigatoni and sausage pasta recipe, I’ll be using it more often now. Below is a list of different sausage that would work well with this recipe, and I’m excited to them all.  *See recipe notes below. You can change this pasta up in so many ways and make it to however you like it. I’m thinking full-on carbonara here folks. *Adds to my bucket list of recipes to try next. 

    This is one of the reasons I enjoy being a food blogger. As I’m sitting here typing this blog post out, I get more and more recipe ideas floating around in my head that I need to stop and write them out so I remember them. 

    If you like pasta recipes try Crab and Ricotta Cannelloni, Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole, or Lasagna Pasta.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients Needed
    • How to make Rigatoni with Kale and Sausage 
    • Recipe Points
    • Recipe FAQs
    • Other Pasta Recipes 
    • Rigatoni with Sausage and Kale

    Ingredients Needed

    Ingredients needed for Rigatoni with Sausage and Kale.
    • Uncooked rigatoni - Rigatoni is the suggested pasta of choice the recipe below uses but that isn’t the only pasta you can use. Try spaghetti or penne pasta or whatever else you have in your pantry and follow the instructions on the back of your box for cooking.  If you're following the purple plan myWW plan sub out whole wheat pasta.
    • Turkey sausage (any kind) - I used Jennie-O ground turkey sausage for this. Like pasta, there are so many flavors of turkey sausage such as breakfast turkey sausage, Italian style turkey sausage, kielbasa, andouille, chorizo, the list goes on and on! 
    • Kale, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces - Kale is loaded with antioxidants such as quercetin and kaempferol. It is an excellent source of vitamin c and vitamin k. It can also help lower cholesterol, which will reduce the risk of heart disease.  
    • Chicken broth - The best type of chicken stock to use is one that is homemade. For canned stock, I look for ones that say reduced sodium or fat free.
    • Black pepper and salt to taste
    • Parmesan cheese is a hard, granular cheese that originated in Italy. It is typically made from cow's milk and has a sharp, nutty flavor. Parmesan cheese is often grated and used as a topping for pasta dishes, salads, and other foods.
    • See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

    How to make Rigatoni with Kale and Sausage 

    Step 1: Cook rigatoni in salted water according to package directions. 

    Step 2: Meanwhile, remove sausage from casing and cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up sausage as it cooks, about 3 minutes. 

    Recipe Tip: The pan will start to turn brown but step 4 will clear it up.

    Sausage being cooked in a pan.

    Step 3: Add kale; cook, stirring frequently, until limp, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

    kale and sausage cooking in a skillet.

    Step 4: Add broth to skillet and scrape up browned bits on the bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon; season with salt and pepper. 

    Chicken broth deglazing the bottom of the skillet.

    Step 5: Cover skillet and reduce heat to low; cook until kale is tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in rigatoni; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons of cheese before serving. Yields about 1 ½ cups per serving.

    All the ingredients for kale and sausage rigatoni cooked in a pan.

    Recipe Points

    MyWW points: Blue: 8; Green: 8; Purple: 8

    My WW Personal Points: 8 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in) 

    Recipe FAQs

    What are the benefits of Kale?

    I’m a spinach or romaine fan but kale has many health benefits and has been deemed a superfood. Kale is loaded with antioxidants such as quercetin and kaempferol. It is an excellent source of vitamin c and vitamin k. It can also help lower cholesterol, which will reduce the risk of heart disease.  

    How do I store leftovers?

    Always store leftovers in clean, food-grade containers. The type of container doesn’t really matter. Use zip lock, glass, plastic,  whatever!  Make sure to store any leftovers in an airtight container.

    Finished rigatoni with sausage and kale in a black bowl with a fork.

    Other Pasta Recipes 

    • 3 Ingredient Guacamole
    • Air Fryer Stir Fry
    • Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast
    • Homemade Applesauce Recipe

    If you tried this  Rigatoni with Sausage and Kale or any other recipe on my website, please please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you! Follow along on Tiktok @jennarecipediaries

    Recipe from adapted from Weight Watchers

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    Rigatoni with Sausage and Kale

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 7 reviews
    • Author: Jenna
    • Prep Time: 10min
    • Cook Time: 15-20min
    • Total Time: 30min
    • Yield: 4 1x
    • Category: Easy
    • Method: Stovetop
    • Cuisine: American
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    A quick and easy weeknight dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes with hearty pasta, sausage, and kale. Save this recipe for a date night when you don't want to go out to eat.


    Ingredients

    Scale
    • 2 cup(s) uncooked rigatoni
    • 8 oz uncooked turkey sausage (any kind),
    • 3 cup(s) uncooked kale, roughly chopped into bite-sized pieces
    • 1 cup(s) canned chicken broth
    • ¼ tsp black pepper
    • ¼ tsp table salt
    • ½ cup(s) shredded Parmesan cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano recommended

    Instructions

    1. Cook rigatoni in salted water according to package directions.

    2. Meanwhile, remove sausage from casing and cook in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up sausage as it cooks, about 3 minutes. 

    3. Add kale; cook, stirring frequently, until limp, about 3 to 5 minutes. 

    4. Add broth to skillet and scrape up browned bits on the bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon; season with salt and pepper. 

    5. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low; cook until kale is tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in rigatoni; heat through. Sprinkle each serving with about 2 tablespoons of cheese before serving.

    6. Yields about 1 ½ cups per serving.

    Notes

    MyWW points: Blue: 8; Green: 8; Purple: 8

    My WW Personal Points: 8 Click here to see in recipe builder (will have to log in) 

    Recipe adapted from WW 


    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 ½ cups
    • Calories: 298
    • Sugar: .7g
    • Fat: 11g
    • Saturated Fat: 3.6g
    • Carbohydrates: 24.3g
    • Fiber: 1.9g
    • Protein: 22.9g

    Did you make this recipe?

    Tag @recipediariesww on Instagram

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rachel Morgan says

      October 14, 2022 at 9:00 am

      Loved it. I had some kale & sausage that I needed to use up & found your recipe. I did add a little heavy cream to it and it was amazing! Thanks ☺️

    2. Denise says

      September 26, 2022 at 5:33 pm

      Super easy! I used vegan sausage and it was delicious.

    3. Trish says

      August 03, 2021 at 7:38 pm

      Absolutely LOVED THIS!!! So did my kids AND my husband! Definitely going in recipe rotation!

    4. Milagro Ramirez says

      April 12, 2021 at 7:48 pm

      Hi!! This is my first recipe of yours I am using as inspiration but it won't be my last!! I had to make it with Rigatoni, and ground beef and queso fresco. LOL so different but inspired by!! It had kale!! It was delicious!!

    5. Jenna says

      September 14, 2020 at 11:39 am

      Thanks Melissa! Glad you liked it.

    6. Melissa Metzger says

      September 14, 2020 at 9:32 am

      This was a winner for our family last night! Quick, easy, and tasty. The only change I made was using two types of kale (curly and Lacinato), and added some fresh basil from the garden. This recipe is going into the rotation for sure. 🙂 Thank you!

    7. Jenna says

      August 16, 2020 at 2:24 pm

      Glad you could use up some of that kale and you liked it!

    8. Miranda says

      August 16, 2020 at 1:17 pm

      Received some fresh kale from a community garden and came upon this recipe searching for uses. It turned out fantastic and will definitely be one we add to our make often collection!! Thank you for sharing

    9. Jenna says

      June 18, 2020 at 7:34 am

      Thanks Alba!

    10. Alba in CA says

      June 17, 2020 at 11:04 pm

      Hi Jenna from Fargo, ND! I loved this recipe! It was easy and quick and healthy!

      I thank you for it!

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