I really love beans and greens, and one of the things I sometimes add to the basic dish is a pound of Italian sausage. The addition of that one extra ingredient transforms the dish from a side into an entree. Of course, I could eat the vegetarian version as an entree, but Baker’s Man prefers meat in his entrees. As I was contemplating what to make for dinner this evening, I kept thinking of beans and greens, but the recipe had already been published. I considered just adding Italian sausage to the recipe and publishing it as a variation, but Food Critic wanted pasta.
I decided that I would make beans and greens with sausage and use it as a pasta sauce, but as I looked in my refrigerator, I realized that I had some cherry tomatoes that needed to be used. They were a little too old for using in a salad, but would work fine if they were cooked. Then, I decided that I was in the mood for something creamy like an Alfredo. After adding cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, and half and half to the mixture, I had a creamy veggie filled sauce. The final result was delicious. Even Food Critic ate without complaint.
This recipe can be served over pasta as in the photo above, but for some children it might be a bit too green. We thought it looked less green, and possibly more appealing to children when the pasta was tossed into the sauce. No matter which way we served it, it was delicious. 
Here’s your printable recipe. Give it a try and let us know what you think.
Thanks for visiting Patty Cake’s Pantry.
- 1 pound of penne, cooked according to package directions
- 1 pound of Italian sausage, hot or mild (your choice).
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes, chopped
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped.
- 2 cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
- ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ cup water
- ½ of an 8 ounce package of cream cheese
- 1 cup half and half
- ⅓ c shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup of shredded Mozzarella cheese
- Parmesan cheese for serving
- Put pot full of salted water on stove to bring to a boil.
- When the water boils, put pasta
- While waiting for water to boil, chop onion and mince garlic then set aside.
- Chop Tomatoes and kale and set aside..
- Put Italian Sausage into pan and brown.
- Drain excess grease, reserving 2 tablespoons in the pan.
- Saute onion and garlic with sausage.
- When onion is beginning to get translucent, add beans, tomatoes, and kale and saute for 2 -3 minutes. Add ½ cup of water.
- Cover pot and allow to steam until kale is wilted.
- Stir in cream cheese, half and half and Parmesan cheese.
- Mix well until cheese is melted and well incorporated.
- Add Mozzarella cheese and stir until well incorporated.
- Serve sauce over cooked pasta, or toss pasta with sauce before serving.