Chicken Sausage Pasta

Once boiling, add kale to pot. Cook until bright green, about 1 minute. Leaving water boiling, immediately transfer kale to a colander and rinse under cold water. Wring dry with paper towels, then transfer to a cutting board. Finely chop. In a medium bowl, combine chopped kale, Parmesan, half the lemon zest, 3 TBSP olive oil, a pinch of garlic, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Add pasta to same pot of boiling water. Cook until al dente, 9-11 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup pasta water, then drain.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken sausage and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in pasta, kale pesto, 1 TBSP butter, and a squeeze of lemon juice. (If pasta seems dry, gradually stir in reserved pasta cooking water.) Season with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.