Pasta with Escarole, Beans and Sausage

This tasty recipe serves 4. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

¾ pound whole-wheat bowtie (or other shape) pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
½ medium onion, chopped, about 1 cup
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. Italian-style chicken sausage, casings removed, crumbled
1 medium head escarole, rinsed, drained and chopped, about 8 cups
1(14-oz.) can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 oz. grated Parmesan

Procedure:

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package.

Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large, deep sauté pan or 8-quart stockpot. Sauté the onion until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 1 minute.

Stir in the sausage and cook until heated through and browned, about 4 minutes. Add the escarole and cook until wilted, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the beans, 1 cup of chicken stock, sage and red pepper flakes and simmer until the mixture is heated through and liquid is slightly reduced.

Add the sausage-bean mixture to pasta and toss well, loosening with the additional ½ cup chicken stock if necessary. Season with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.