ziti chickpeas with sausage and kale – smitten kitchen

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Note: If your mozzarella seems wet or comes in water, drain it on paper towels for a while before grating it so the final dish doesn’t become too watery. Gluten-free: This dish is (of course) only gluten-free if you exclude the garlic bread, or make garlic bread with gf bread.

Glug of olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped small
3 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces sweet or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or less to taste
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 6-8-ounce bundle kale, stemmed, or 4 to 5 ounces kale leaves, cut into thin ribbons
3/4 pound mozzarella, coarsely grated (see Note)
2/3 cup finely grated pecorino cheese
Garlic bread, for serving, if you wish

Make the meaty chickpeas: Heat large sauté pan — if yours is ovenproof, you can even use it as your final baking vessel — over medium-high heat. Coat with a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and heat oil. Add onion and garlic and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add 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. Add 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 add another 1 teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond brand) and more black pepper here.

Simmer the chickpeas in the sauce for 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, add 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup at a time, until you get a thick but saucy consistency. Add kale and 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.

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 and broil until the cheese is melted and browned in spots. Eat right away.

Do ahead: See notes within the recipe about where to pause. You can reheat the chickpeas in a 350-degree oven for 15 minutes; I usually keep the lid on.