Cavatappi with Italian Sausage & Kale

*serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 shallot, peeled and sliced
• 1/2 lb spicy italian sausage, casings discarded
• 1/2 lb kale, tough stems and center ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
• 1/2 lb dried cavatappi, cavatelli or gemelli
• 28 oz can whole tomatoes in puree
• 1/3 cup half & half
• 1 oz finely grated Pecorino Romano

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook shallot & garlic a couple minutes, stirring well so that garlic doesn’t burn. Add sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, 5 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring salted cooking water to a boil, then cook pasta uncovered until al dente.

While pasta cooks, add kale and 1/4 cup water to sausage in skillet and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes until the kale is tender and wilting. Drain off a couple tablespoons of tomato purée from the can, then add entire can of tomatoes, breaking up w/ back of spoon so the tomatoes are in large chunky pieces. Simmer for a few minutes. Add a few swirls of half & half and stir into sauce. Add pasta to skillet, tossing until well-combined. Season with salt & pepper and top with grated parmesan.