The beauty of this dish is that it’s more of a technique than a recipe. In place of precise amounts, I have listed steps so you can tailor it to fit the number of people you are cooking for and how you want it to be (i.e., lots of sausage on a small bed of noodles vs. mostly noodles with green flecks, etc.). Turnip greens are hard to find, but if you can get your hands on them, go ahead and use them here. Their peppery bite is a great accent to the other flavors.

1) Boil salted water and add whole wheat pasta, cooking according to package directions.

2) While the water is boiling, pan fry one or two Italian sausages (or use leftovers from last night’s dinner on the grill), then remove them from the pan and cut into slices.

3) Clean several large handfuls of turnip greens and chop coarsely (remember that greens cook down greatly in size). If you have baby turnips attached, cut them off and save them to eat as snacks, in salads, or however you would eat a radish.

4) Add one or two cloves of minced garlic to the same saute pan you fried the sausage in, and a swirl of olive oil, if necessary. Cook over medium heat about 30 seconds to a minute, then add in the turnip greens, partially cover, and cook for a few minutes. If the pan seems dry, sprinkle in some water with your fingertips so there’s enough moisture to cook the greens.

5) Drain the pasta when it’s done, then add it to the saute pan along with the sliced sausages. Toss everything together and season with parmesan, kosher salt and pepper.