Name: Pasta with Sausage, Sage, Kale and Fontal Cheese
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1 box pasta (cooked aldente); 1 Tablespoon olive oil; 1 package mild Italian sausages (about 6 sausages, sliced in half lengthwise and then sliced crosswise); 1/2 small onion (peeled and diced (about 1/2 cup diced onion)); 2 gloves of garlic (peeled and chopped); 1 generous Tablespoon fresh sage leaves chopped; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 cups chicken stock; 1-2 cups of kale (removed from stems and then torn and rinsed); 2 cups about 8 ounces Fontal cheese (or other mild cheese that melts easily).; Salt and pepper to taste

The pasta is coated with a velvety blanket of cheesy goodness. And who doesn’t love cheese?! The sausage is sliced and then browned to give it nice crispy edges and to flavor the dish.

Add some kale at the end, to give the sausage sage pasta some color and you’ve got yourself a delicious meal.

It’s one of my go-to meals. I’ve been making this dish for many years and even my picky eaters love it! They do eat around the kale.

A stainless steel pot filled with penne pasta mixed with pieces of sausage and leafy greens, possibly kale, on a wooden surface. The sage-infused pasta appears to be coated in a light sauce.

This is the perfect comforting weeknight meal for cool fall evenings and cold winter nights. Of course, you can make it all year if you like.

We haven’t had many nice cold days here in Alexandria, VA this winter. I love cold weather, in part because I love making cold-weather dishes like this Cheesy Pasta with Sausage and Sage. It seems like a good idea to share it now before the weather warms up for Spring.

Why you love sausage sage pasta

Here are three reasons why a parent with picky eaters would love a weeknight recipe for sausage sage pasta:

If you have a picky eater at home, serve the pasta and kale sauce separate. And omit the step of adding the grated cheese to the dish and simply serve it on the side.
This pasta dish is quick and simple enough for a weeknight.
Leftovers reheat well and sausage sage pasta makes a hearty thermos lunch.

Ingredients to make sage sausage pasta are displayed on a wooden surface: a box of De Cecco pasta, a carton of Pacific organic free range chicken broth, a large head of kale, an onion, packaged sweet Italian sausage, a wedge of cheese, and fresh sage leaves.

Ingredients to make this pasta with sage and sausage

Sweet Italian sausage: Want a little kick to the dish? Use a spicy sausage instead.
Olive oil: I use Kirkland brand extra virgin olive oil.
Onion and garlic add depth to the flavor of the pasta dish.
1 box pasta: I tend to make this pasta dinner with penne or farfalle, but you can use your favorite shape.
Fresh sage leaves: I love sage. It makes me think of cool fall days and changing leaves. If you don’t have sage, or don’t like it, you can use rosemary.
Chicken stock: If you don’t have chicken stock, water works fine. The dish won’t have quite the depth of flavor, but it still tastes great because the sausage and sage, plus the onions, garlic, and kale add flavor.
Kale removed from stems and then torn and rinsed. If you don’t like kale feel free to use a different green. Mixed greens, arugula, or spinach would work well.
Fontal cheese or another mild cheese that melts easily like Monterey jack or mozzarella.
Salt and pepper to taste: For cooking, I use Diamond Crystals Kosher salt. If you use table salt, like Morton’s salt, use half the salt called for in the recipe.

A person wearing a plaid shirt and white t-shirt sits at a table, holding a spoon and eating from a white bowl filled with sausage sage pasta. The background includes a red armchair and a softly lit room.

Leftover pasta with sage and sausage makes great lunches and snacks!

We like to keep things simple here at Sunny Side Up. This recipe allows you to do exactly that! It has just 8 ingredients and can be made in about 30 minutes (really)! Cheesy Pasta with Sausage, Sage, and Kale is a favorite in my house.

Admittedly, there are 2 of the 4 of us who eat around the kale. A dish that everyone likes is definitely a win! Plus, sausage kale pasta reheats beautifully, so the leftovers work well packed in a thermos for lunch the next day or reheated for a snack. We’re definitely big fans of using leftovers for lunches (and snacks).

Making the sausage sage pasta and a few variations

One of the nice things about this sausage sage pasta is its versatility.

Add one can of drained white beans to make the dish even heartier.
What to make this sausage sage pasta vegetarian? Omit the sausage and use white beans instead. And use water or vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock.
Try a different kind of sausage. Do you prefer spicy sausage or sweet sausage? You could use sage sausage or an apple sage sausage too.
Deglaze the pan with white wine – After removing the sausage from the pan, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of white wine and reduce by 1/2. Then add the 1 1/2 cups chicken stock. Doing this will give the dish some brightness and depth of flavor.
Use rosemary instead of sage.
Add spinach, arugula, or other greens instead of kale.
Try a different kind of cheese that melts well. (I’ve only made this with Fontina or Fontal cheese).

A hand slices sausages on a blue chopping board with a sharp knife. Sliced pieces are gathered to the side.

1. Heat a large pot of well salted water over high heat for the pasta. While the water is coming to a boil, begin making the sauce. Slice each sausage lengthwise. Then place the slices cut side down and slice the lengthwise pieces. The slices will look like half moons.

Sliced sausages being cooked in a stainless steel pan.

2. Over medium high heat, heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan large enough to hold the pasta and sauce. Add the sliced sausage and brown stirring occasionally. Once the sausage is browned, turn off the heat and put the sausage in a bowl and set aside.

Chopped onions, garlic, and sage are on a blue cutting board next to a knife.

Dice the onion, garlic and sage. And add to the sauté pan you used to brown the sausage and cook for about 4 minutes or until the onions begin to look translucent.

A person in a plaid shirt grates cheese on a box grater over a blue cutting board in the kitchen.

Grate the cheese. This is a good opportunity to have kids help.

I typically serve this pasta with sage and sausage with my Favorite Everyday Salad and a baguette (if I have one). Let us know if you make this! We love to hear from our readers!

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