Penne with chard and sausage

This is one of those recipes that I always skip over in my favorite cookbook, The Art of Simple Food.  I decided to make it when all I could find in my refrigerator and freezer and cupboard were the exact ingredients that went into making this meal.  We loved it, and I'm sure you could make it vegetarian friendly with a bit more olive oil or butter.  I do think that the Italian sausage made it that much better.  It's a good one for weekday dinners, which have hit me like a ton of bricks.

Penne with Chard and Sausage
slightly adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

1 large bunch chard, trimmed and chopped
1 pound Italian Sausage, rolled into small balls
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
1 pound penne, cooked al dente in the same water as the chard
Parmesan cheese

1.  Cook greens in salted boiling water until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2.  Heat olive oil in pan.  Add sausage and cook until browned and cooked through.  Remove from pan with drippings.
3.  Add onion to pan and allow to slightly caramelize.  Then add the greens and sausage with drippings the pan for a couple minutes.
4.  Cook pasta in salted boiling water.  Drain and return to pan.
5.  Add onions, greens, and sausage to the pasta.  Season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
6.  Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.