Pasta with Escarole, White Bean and Sausage Sauce

Escarole and white bean soup is one of my favorite go-to simple winter meals.  Of course that means my daughter will absolutely not eat it so I started to think about what I could do with similar flavors that she would eat and I came up with this recipe.  Escarole soup at its most basic is sauteed garlic, wilted escarole, white beans and broth simmered with a chunk of Parmesan.  Some recipes add sausage, some prosciutto so I thought why not use both and add pasta. Add some crusty bread and a glass of wine and what else could you want on a cold winter night! If you don't know where to get escarole, check the lettuce section of your supermarket.

Ingredients:

2-3 sweet Italian sausage links (no fennel) about 1/2 lb.
3 oz of thin sliced prosciutto, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 head or escarole, chopped and well rinsed (it tends to have a lot of dirt)
Red pepper flakes, to taste
1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed (I like navy beans but cannellini are really good as well)
3 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
2 tbsp of butter
1/2 lb of pasta of your choice (I used pipette but penne or rigatoni works as well. You want the pasta to have ridges and a hollow center tube shape so that it will catch the sauce and all of the goodies)
Olive Oil
Optional salt and pepper

Heat enough water to cook the pasta. Heat enough olive oil to lightly coat the vessel in a large pot or Dutch oven. Remove the sausage from its casing and add to the heated pot, breaking up and browning.  Once the sausage is browned and fully cooked through, push it to the outer edges of the pan and add the chopped garlic.  Sauté for one minute, mixing the sausage back in once the garlic is fragrant.  Add in red pepper flakes, I use just a dash here so it is still palatable for my daughter but feel free to make it as spicy as you like.  Add in the washed escarole and stir until wilted, about 2 minutes.  Add the broth and white beans to the pot and bring to a boil.  While you are waiting for your sauce to boil, add salt to your pasta pot and drop the pasta to cook. Once your sauce has come to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add in diced prosciutto and simmer for 2 more minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the Parmesan, stirring to melt.  Last add the butter swirling to melt as well.  Once the pasta is finished, drain completely and add to the pot.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper only if needed.  The salt level will depend on the products you selected to use and their sodium content so I recommend not adding any salt until the end.  Serve with a lovely crusty bread and enjoy!