Chef critique
Tuscan Sausage, Kale & Tomato Penne
This is a cohesive and efficient weeknight recipe, but the vegetables are slightly underseasoned and checking the temperature of crumbled sausage is impractical.
Score: 8/10
Suggested fixes
- Increase the table salt added with the kale to 1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon, updating the ingredient list accordingly.
- Remove the 165°F temperature check for the crumbled sausage and instead instruct the cook to brown the meat until cooked through.
Issues
- medium / flavor: Adding only 1/4 teaspoon of table salt to over a pound of vegetables (kale, tomatoes, and onion) will leave them underseasoned, falling well below the recommended 1% salinity. Even accounting for the salty sausage and pasta water, the salt should be increased to 1/2 or 3/4 teaspoon.
- low / cookability: Taking the internal temperature of small crumbled sausage pieces is impractical for most home cooks using a standard thermometer. It is better to rely on visual cues, such as cooking until browned and no longer pink.
Strengths
- Perfectly calculated 2% salinity for the pasta blanching water using table salt.
- Well-structured prep steps occur before active cooking begins.
- Efficient concurrent timing between boiling the pasta and preparing the sauce.