Sometimes I just get an idea in my head and I have to run with it.  The fall weather is slowly starting to creep into the mid-Atlantic region – mornings are darker, temperatures are cooling down, and we’ve had a fair amount of that grey fall rain.  I guess I need to let go of summer.  With the change in the weather I’m starting to feel the long-dormant itch to get into the kitchen and prepare warm, nourishing foods.  This stew is one of them.  I had pasta e fagioli on the menu and wasn’t quite feeling it.  I wanted something a bit greener.  Then the idea popped into my head for a hearty, healthy stew with kale, Field Roast Italian sausages and tubetti pasta.  I thought about it on the entire commute home one of the first cool days and as soon as we pulled into the garage, I made a beeline for the kitchen to whip it up.  Like I said, sometimes I just get an idea in my head and I have to run with it.

Italian Sausage and Veggie Stew

1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 white onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3/4 cup fresh green beans, diced (optional)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 Field Roast Italian veggie sausage links, sliced (sub other sausage if desired)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1/2-3/4 box small pasta shape (I used De Cecco tubetti)
1 package frozen kale (sub spinach)
pepper to taste (optional)
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

• In a cast-iron Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.  Add diced veggies and season with salt.  Saute until golden and softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add sausage slices and saute with veggies until sausage slices are warmed through and beginning to acquire some color, about 3 more minutes.
• Pour in vegetable broth and water, stir to ensure nothing sticks to bottom of pot.  Bring liquid to a boil, then add pasta.
• Boil pasta for the time required on the box (for tubetti it was 10 minutes), stirring frequently to ensure no sticking. 
• Add frozen kale and stir to heat through.  Test pasta for doneness – it may take an extra minute or so because it’s competing with lots of sausage and veggies!
• If desired, season with pepper and top with grated Parmesan.  (Italian sausage has lots of flavor so I didn’t find I needed this step.)  Serve hot and enjoy!

Source: Covered In Flour