Rustic Walnut Rapini Pasta

This flavorful dish is the perfect comfort food for a chilly winter day. The Italian sausage, combined with a savoury blend of garlic, onion, lemon zest, is perfectly topped with toasted walnuts. So very good!!

• Ready In: 20 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb hot Italian sausage, meat, crumbled
• 1  cup red onion, sliced
• 4  garlic cloves, monced
• 1  cup walnut halves, toasted
• 1⁄2 lb rigatoni pasta
• 5  cups rapini, roughly chopped
• 1  tablespoon lemon zest
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese or 1⁄2 cup  pecorino cheese, grated
•  chili flakes

Directions

1. In large skillet, brown sausage meat over medium-high heat, breaking up pieces with the back of a spoon. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in walnuts.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. Add rapini during the last minute of cooking. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water in a measuring cup.
4. Drain pasta and rapini in a colander.
5. Add reserved pasta water, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese in the walnut mixture. Stir in pasta and rapini.
6. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese and chili flakes, if desired.