Sausage and Kale Dinner Tart
You just need a few simple ingredients: kale, sausage, butter, flour, egg, white wine, basil, onion, ricotta and garlic.
We thought the texture of this kale (we used lacinato) was so beautiful.
Starting with a smile!
The crust is a straightforward butter, flour, salt and water affair -- whizzed up quickly in the food processor.
Amanda makes sure she adds JUST the right amount of water.
Perfect!
We patted the dough into a disc, wrapped it and chilled it for about 30 minutes.
See the droplets of water collecting in the folds of the kale? They look like jewels.
Amanda cuts out the spines of the kale leaves, which are tough.
We sliced the kale into thin strips.
Sauteing some onion and garlic to start the filling.
Next, browning the sausage. (Check out Amanda's fridge disappearing act!)
After removing the sausage from the pan, it's time to wilt the kale in all those yummy juices.
A little wine never hurts. This recipe only calls for 1/4 cup -- perfect for using up that open bottle in the fridge.
Amanda used her trustworthy plastic wrap technique to roll out the dough, which is very easy to work with.
Docking the crust.
We've got some pretty new baking beans after all of those bulk bin photo sessions!
Perfectly blind-baked.
To finish up the filling, you add an egg and some ricotta to the kale, sausage and onion.
We found it best to use our fingers to distribute the filling evenly in the tart shell.
Just 15 short minutes in the oven, and dinner is served!
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Author Notes: This is the single most soul satisfying tart I have ever made. Sausage and kale both are iconic winter fare. They dominate this tart with only minor distractions from sauteed onion, garlic, and the slightest addition of ricotta cheese. Served atop the flaky butter crust, this is a winter meal to celebrate. - My Pantry Shelf - My Pantry Shelf
Food52 Review: Here's how you impress dinner guests without chipping away at your bank account. My Pantry Shelf's tart coaxes luxury out of spare ingredients and bends readily to adaptation, depending on what looks good at the market and what you have on hand. A flaky pastry base and judicious amounts of ricotta, white wine, and fresh basil go a long way in dressing up the rustic kale and sausage filling. With this beauty, you've got yourself a dinner party -- all that's left is a big green salad and plenty of wine. - A&M - A&M
Serves 6
Tart Shell
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 pinch salt
- 3-4 tablespoons ice water
- Cut the butter into small cubes.
- Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until butter is pea-sized.
- Slowly drizzle water through the top of the food processor while pulsing. You have added enough water when dough sticks together when pressed.
- Remove dough from processor and press gently into a disc.
- Wrap disc in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Remove dough from refrigerator and unwrap.
- Place disc on a lightly floured board.
- Roll dough into a circle 12 inches in diameter.
- Place dough in 10 inch tart pan with removable bottom.
- Dock dough with a fork.
- Lay parchment paper or foil over dough and fill with beans or pie weights.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Blind bake the tart shell (with pie weights) for 20 minutes. Then remove parchment and weights and bake an additional 5 minutes until the crust begins to brown.
- Remove from oven and set aside on cooling rack.
Sausage and Kale Filling
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage
- 1 bunch kale (a large bunch), stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup ricotta (or another soft cheese like feta or goat cheese)
- salt and pepper
- Heat oil and butter in pan on medium heat. Add onion and garlic and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until onions are soft and light brown. Season with salt and pepper. Remove onions from pan and set aside.
- Increase heat to medium and add sausage to pan. Brown sausage and break into small pieces. Remove sausage from pan and set aside. Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of oil from pan.
- Add kale to pan. Pour white wine over kale. Scrape any bits from the pan and cover. Cook 3-5 minutes, until kale is wilted. Season with salt and pepper. If kale is still very wet, cook uncovered for a minute or two. The overall mixture should be fairly dry. Remove kale to a large bowl.
- Toss cooked kale with cooked sausage and onions. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Toss mixture with basil, egg, and ricotta. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon sausage and kale mixture into cooked tart shell. Be sure to evenly cover the bottom of the tart shell. Bake the tart on a baking tray for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove tart from oven when the filling is set and the tart shell is nicely brown. Cool tart slightly on a wire rack. Slice and serve with a big green salad.
- Your Best Dirt Cheap Dinner Contest Winner!
- This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Late Winter Tart (Sweet or Savory)
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3 days ago Erni
I made this for dinner for my husband a n one other guet, I got rave reviews from everyone who tried it. Great kale recipe!
6 days ago Amy Gonsier
I made this today and it was great, I did have trouble rolling it out but just pressed it into the tart pan. I was afraid the filling would be too crumbly so I added one more egg and a handful of shredded Parmesan in addition to 1/4 cup of ricotta and it was perfect, not at all like quiche, still somewhat crumbly but easy to cut and serve. We all loved it!
13 days ago giuia.grady
This is a perfect and very satisfying tart. Great recipe!
4 months ago Lee Stokes Hilton
I've often made this same mix of sausage, kale, and ricotta (using homemade ricotta, which is simple and beyond compare) and instead of a pie shell tossed it with whole wheat pasta, which is faster and easier, but still tastes great. I also add thin strips of sun-dried tomatoes to the kale saute. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.
4 months ago glammie
Could you do this without a crust to make it a little more carb-friendly? Or, sometimes in lieu of a crust, I'll spray a pie plate with PAM and then coat with dry bread crumbs -- would that work?
5 months ago Sarahlpearse
I made this for the first time last Sunday. The crust was simple and came out great. My grocery store was out of Kale so I substituted swiss chard which worked well - I sauteed it for a little less time. I used hot italian turkey sausage - and the flavor was divine. Leftovers for lunch the next day were even better. Can't wait to make this again and again and it really is infinitely adaptable with greens/sausage/cheese in different varieties.
6 months ago Burnt Offerings
I agree - good fridge cleaner. I leftover lamb and mint sausage, and half a fennel bulb that I caramelized with the onion and garlic - solid addition!
7 months ago Manhattan Tart
What a forgiving base from which to start! The crust was fabulous (just pressed it directly into the tart pan -- skipped the "disk" freezing part -- and froze it in the pan). It's a great pantry/'fridge cleaning tart, because I used what I had: a hefty 1/3 cup of goat cheese plus neufchatel, frozen spinach, 3 eggs + a bit of cream, fresh chopped thyme and a sprinkling of fontina on the top. Yes, it's a departure from the recipe, but it avoided a trek to the market (a lovely thing) and made my family very happy. Loved it!
8 months ago teafanatic
We made this tart for dinner the other night. I would agree that it is pretty simple to make. Flavor wise- meh. It did not live up to expectations.
10 months ago shoesthatilike
There couldn't be an easier, more satisfying tart, especially as we move into the fall. I bet it would be good with whatever hearty greens you have around. I made much of it while muted on a conference call. (Shhh, don't tell!)
11 months ago bewler
I have made this tart six times - and it is excellent!!!! It is far easier to throw together than it looks at first and, as others have said, lends itself to variations really well. I have added fennel, used chicken sausage, played with different types of cheese. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
11 months ago lschmoyer
This is great for people who don't completely love kale. The wine softens and sweetens the greens - excellent recipe!
12 months ago Hark
Made this with sweet potato instead of sausage. The sausage version is tastier (in my husband's opinion), but I thought it was a really good vegetarian alternative.
12 months ago bewler
This was really delicious! I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it all came together despite the long list of steps. As others have suggested, it would be easier to make substitutions and additions based on what's available and in season. Thanks for a great "go to" recipe!
over 1 year ago SK Brenton
Quite good and affordable.. I also used half fennel in place of the onion. I garnished with oven-dried roma tomatoes around the outside border and finished with a drizzle of white truffle oil.
over 1 year ago Seaward
We made this earlier this week, and I agree with everyone, it looks great! This was the first time I've ever worked with kale and I feel like I'm missing something. This tart was so chewy, my husband almost declared it inedible. Is kale always this chewy? Could I substitute spinach and if so would I have to wilt it by itself in order not to have the spinach water in the tart? Any suggestions would be appreciated - I love tarts!
over 1 year ago My Pantry Shelf
Seaward,
I hope this doesn't turn you off to kale, it is such a fantastic vegetable! It certainly is chewier than spinach, but it sounds like you might have had a tough bunch. The precooking of the kale should be enough to tenderize it. As far as the spinach is concerned, give it a try! It is such a delicate green, that it may break down too much. I have not tried it myself. Chard is another good substitute. If you go with spinach, just cook it uncovered until the water evaporates.
over 1 year ago m.izzy
Had to log-in and comment on this one. Simply delicious. I was nervous my husband wouldn't like it because of the greens (ridiculous I know) but he said it was his new favorite. Thanks so much for the recipe! Instant keeper.
over 1 year ago m.izzy
Wanted to add that I used the French pastry dough recipe on David Lebovitz's site that another commenter recommended and it worked wonderfully. I was really nervous about making my own tart shell but it was too easy!
Also blended ricotta and feta. Wanted the extra flavor of the feta and it payed off.
over 1 year ago rachelib
Loved this tart. The shell shrank after pre-baking, so it didn't have much of an edge. Very tasty none the less.
over 1 year ago themjpchallenge
Great recipe! I love kale, and this really works well. I used 3 more eggs in substitute to the cheese [I am lactose intolerant] and I'm betting it tastes just as good as with cheese!
over 1 year ago scot walters
Great site and great recipe. I'm a fat loss specialist who likes all types of foods ( an ex chef ). I've been on my nutrition plan faithfully and decided that it was time for a treat. This is gonna be it!