Clean Eating Turkey Sausage Ragu

 I saw this recipe when reading Clean Eating Magazine and knew I wanted to try it. I never make my own pasta sauce because it seems so time consuming, but in this case it was definitely worth it (and it didn't take that long)! I love the texture of the these wide egg noodles, also known as pappardelle,  and  the sauce was delicious! We actually had this about a month ago for my dad's birthday dinner because he loves pasta, and Nick has already requested that I make this again soon!

Turkey Sausage Ragu (adapted from Clean Eating Magazine)(Serves: 4)

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 8 ounces spicy italian turkey sausage, casings discarded
• 1/4 tsp chile flakes
• 3 cloves fresh garlic
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes in juice
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves, torn
• 1 large bunch fresh kale, cleaned, stems discarded, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• kosher salt and pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces whole wheat pappardelle (I couldn't find a whole wheat version so I used regular)
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for garnish

1. Add 1 tbsp oil, onion and thyme to a medium pot over medium heat.  Stir to coat, cover and cook until onion is softened and just beginning to color, 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.  Uncover pot, add sausage, chile flakes and garlic, and continue cooking for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Off the heat, carefully deglaze by adding wine.  Return to heat and reduce for 1 minute.  Add tomatoes, oregano, and kale.  Stir well, cover and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove cover and continue coking until sauce is reduced and slightly thickened, 10 minutes.  Stir in additional 1 tbsp oil plus vinegar.  Season with salt and black pepper.
2. When sauce is almost finished cooking, add pasta to large pot filled with boiling salted water and cook until al dente, following package directions.  Drain well and immediately toss with tomato sauce to coat.  Then serve with parmesan cheese shavings.