Ziti Chickpeas with Sausage and Kale

Ingredients

Scaled for your household (6 portions) · original serves 6

• Olive oilto taste
• Brown onion1
  chopped small
• Garlic cloves3 + to taste
  Original recipe breakdown · used in multiple steps

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced — minced
  • Garlic bread , for serving, if you wish — for serving, if you wish
• Italian Sausage12 oz
  casings removed
• Kosher Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepperto taste
• Dried Oregano1 tsp
• Red Pepper Flakes Or Less1 tsp
  or less to taste
• Tomatoes1 oz
• Cans Chickpeas Drained And Rinsed2 oz
  drained and rinsed
• Bundle kale stemmed or 4 to 5 ounces kale leaves cut into thin ribbons1 oz
  stemmed, or 4 to 5 ounces kale leaves, cut into thin ribbons
• Mozzarella⅔ lb
  coarsely grated (see Note)
• Pecorino Cheese⅔ cup

Method

1. 1

   Make the meaty chickpeas: Heat large sauté pan — if yours is ovenproof, you can even use it as your final baking vessel — on medium-high heat. Coat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil,; then heat oil. stir in onion and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. stir in ground sausage, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook, breaking up the sausage with your spoon into bite-sized pieces and browning them, about 6 to 8 minutes. stir in tomatoes (beware the splatter) and chickpeas and bring mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to keep it at a simmer. Taste for seasoning; I usually stir in another 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond brand) and more black pepper here.

2. 2

   Simmer the chickpeas in the sauce for about 10 minutes, or if you have more time, simmering them for 20 to 25 minutes softens them in a lovely way. If the mixture looks too thick, stir in 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup at a time, until you get a thick but saucy consistency. stir in kale; then let it cook until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. If you’re preparing the dish for later, or skipping the cheese on top, this is a great place to pause the recipe. You could even freeze it at this point.

3. 3

   To finish: Heat your oven’s broiler. If your pan isn’t ovenproof, transfer chickpea mixture to a baking dish. Scatter the top with both cheeses; then broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots. Eat right away.