Earlier this year hubby and I went to an amazing event at a local resort that had beautiful Italian Music, authentic Italian food and it was all under the stars. It was fabulous. One of the dishes we had while we were there was an amazing linguine with spicy sausage and escarole. It.was.so.good. Naturally, I knew I had to try to duplicate it at home. I think part of the secret to how wonderful the pasta tasted was the smokey sausage that was used. I was delighted when a friend gave us a couple of links of a smokey venison sausage. I knew from the moment I saw the sausage that it had a date with destiny.
That destiny? My belly and escarole. 😉
ps. Never had escarole? You should try it! It is a hearty green that tastes similar to spinach to me when wilted. It is slightly more bitter but in the best way possible! Give it a try!

Pasta Shells with Escarole, Sausage and Cheese

1 14- to 15-ounce head of escarole, cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide ribbons (about 10 cups)
12 oz medium pasta shells
4 teaspoons olive oil
10 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage (about 3 links), casings removed- We used venison sausage (diced) or you could use a sausage like Kielbasa.
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 large red onion, diced
3/4 cup corn
3/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (optional)
3 tablespoons thinly sliced drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons grated pecorino Romano cheese or fresh grated parmesan

Preparation

Cook escarole ribbons in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer escarole to strainer and drain, keeping water boiling. Add pasta shells to boiling water; cook pasta shells until just tender, stirring occasionally. Ladle out 1/2 cup cooking water; reserve. Drain pasta shells; return to pot.

Meanwhile, heat 1 teaspoon oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage; sauté until cooked through, breaking up with fork if using loose sausage, about 5 minutes. Add remaining oil, onion, and fennel seeds; sauté until onion is almost tender, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, corn, garlic, escarole, and reserved 1/2 cup cooking water and cream; simmer until heated through, about 3 minutes. Stir in cheese, reserving 1 tablespoon for garnish. Season with salt and pepper.

Add sausage mixture to pasta; toss. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with cheese.