Ricotta pincenelle with sausage and broccoli

• 80 pieces poached pincenelle pasta (see below)
• 8 ounces Italian sausage
• 8 stalks of broccolini cut into one-inch chunks
• 1 cup poultry broth
• 3 sprigs of fresh oregano with leaves picked
• 1⁄4 cup chopped basil
• 1⁄2 cup pitted castelvetrano olives (rough chopped)
• 1⁄4 cup chopped Italian parsley
• 1 cup of grana padano cheese
• 3 Calabrian chili peppers (from a jar) sliced
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil for finishing

1. Bring two quarts of water and one tablespoon of salt to a rolling boil in a large pot.
2. Blanch broccolini for 6 minutes.
3. Use a skimmer or slotted spoon to transfer the cooked broccolini to a colander, leaving the water in the pot.
4. While broccolini is cooking, heat a large skillet (with sides) over high heat and brown the sausage. Smash the sausage with a fork to break into smaller crumbles.
5. Add olives, salt, black pepper and Calabrian peppers. Stir up the pan to mix well.
6. Add chicken broth and reduce the heat to low while pasta cooks.
7. Add the pincenelle pasta to the boiling water to reheat, about one minute. With a strainer, transfer cooked pincenelle to the
   sausage pan.
8. Add parsley, oregano and basil, gently stirring and folding the pasta together.
9. Add salt, butter, and half the cheese.
10. Continue folding and turning the pasta in the pan. The pincenelle should have a glossy sheen look with the butter and broth creating an emulsified sauce around the broccolini and sausage.
11. Divide the finished pasta between 4 bowls.
12. Garnish with the remaining cheese and a solid drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil.

• Rozarks Luminary Hike | Now-Sunday, Dec. 18 | 4-8 p.m. | 3900 Fisher St., Kansas City, KS | Free | Walk through a path of luminaries at Fisher Park. 🕯️
• DJ Alphacat at Nighthawk | Wednesday, Dec. 14 | 7 p.m. | 1228 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, MO | $0+ | You’re halfway through the week — celebrate with live music in the basement bar below Hotel Kansas City.

• Bookmobile at Phoenix Family | Thursday, Dec. 15 | 9:30-10:30 a.m. | 302 W. 8th St., Kansas City, MO | Free | Stop by to enjoy library perks on the go, like checking out + returning items, signing up for a library card, and free printing and Wi-Fi. 📚
• Overland Park Civic Band Holiday Concert | Thursday, Dec. 15 | 7:30-8:30 p.m. | Atonement Lutheran Church, 9948 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS | Free | Holiday cheer will be heard far and wide with the Overland Park Civic Band, under the direction of their newly appointed conductor, Andrew Yates. 🎶

• Candy Cane Hunt | Friday, Dec. 16 | 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | Mill Creek Activity Center, 6518 Vista Dr., Shawnee, KS | $12-$13 | Bring the kiddos to create a festive craft and then set foot to hunt for candy canes. 🎄
• Kansas City Chorale presents: A Christmas Carol | Friday, Dec. 16 | 7:30 p.m. | 400 W. 57th St., Kansas City, MO | $25 | This storytelling event offers a new musical interpretation of “A Christmas Carol.”

• 12 Bars of Charity Bar Crawl | Saturday, Dec. 17 | 2-6 p.m. | KC Live! Block | $45-$105 | Support a charity of your choice while hopping around local bars. 🥂

• Pickleball Tournament | Sunday, Dec. 18 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m. | Overland Park Racquet Club, 6800 W. 91st St., Overland Park, KS | $65 | Grab a partner for this single elimination pickleball tournament — don’t worry, each team is guaranteed four games in pool play.

• The average first-time home buyer toured 24 homes in person or virtually (up from 15 in 2021).
• Half of first-time buyers said they made offers on five or more homes before winning one (respondents averaged 12 offers apiece).
• 69% say they are confident they found the best home for them in the market.
• 58% said the home search was “much more time-consuming than expected."*

• 37º | Mostly sunny | 4% chance of rain

• The vote is in. The Independence School District will start a four-day school week beginning next school year. The school day will also be extended by 40 minutes — meaning the district’s total instruction time remains the same despite the fewer school days. (KCUR)

• Turnberry Solutions, a Pennsylvania-based IT consulting and staffing firm, has set up shop in Overland Park — at 9225 Indian Creek Pwky. The new office (Turnberry’s seventh location) is led by four KC natives and consulting industry veterans. 🏢 (Kansas City Business Journal)

• Local Pig’s annual holiday fundraiser Operation Meatball will feed families in need. For every two dozen meatballs sold, the City Market-based butcher shop will donate two dozen meatballs to hungry Kansas Citians — distributed by The Prospect KC. Order your meatballs here. 🐷

• A different developer will take on the last multi-family phase at the massive Shawnee Golf and Country Club site — northwest of Clear Creek Parkway and Kansas Highway 7. D and D Building Inc. will shrink the initial plan to 97 units across 51 duplex + single-unit buildings. (Kansas City Business Journal)
• SomeraRoad Inc.'s redevelopment plan for the West Bottoms — including 1,250 new residences — is up for discussion today. If the City Council (eventually) signs off on the $500 million agreement, construction would begin in 2023. 🏗️ (Kansas City Business Journal)

• Novella, a new coffee shop in the West Bottoms, is officially open to the public — at 1331 Union Ave., KCMO. The shop is owned by Joshua Bella, owner of the local coffee pop-up Slow Bar, and will offer pastries from Blackhole Bakery. ☕ (Kansas City Magazine)

• The Overland Park Farmer’s Market is growing more than just fruits and veggies. The market is looking to hire part time attendants for the 2023 season. Find an application here. 🥦

• Sabrina Carpenter is heading to The Midland on Wednesday, April 26 for her “emails i can’t send” tour. Tickets for the show go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. 🎟️
• For the metal heads — Underoath is coming to Uptown Theater on Wednesday, March 15. Tickets go on sale this Friday, Dec. 16. 🤘

• Holiday cheer isn’t the only thing spreading this season. The CDC reported “very high” flu activity in our state this season. Find a flu vaccine near you — there may even be a needleless option. 🏩 (Verywell Health)

• What gifts are on the radar this season? City Editor Travis is ready to sport this Kansas City skyline sweatshirt, and City Editor Bella is ready to show off this KCtoday embroidered sweatshirt. Shop these unique gifts + more at our online shop Six & Main. 🛍️

• Hello, perfect New Year’s Eve party. NYE Live! Kansas City is the night’s biggest event held in 12+ bars and nightclubs in the Power and Light District. Party-goers can look forward to exclusive venue access, all-inclusive food and drink packages, DJs, party favors, confetti cannons, and a Times Square-style ball drop. Get tickets.*

• How does Scott’s Cheap Flights work? Sign up for free, follow up to five airports, and Scott’s will notify you when flights are 40-90% off. Bonus: You can browse deals immediately after signing up (like a $300+ round trip to Bermuda). 🌴*

• Cash is king when buying a home. Learn how you can make your real estate dreams a reality when you remove the contingencies sellers dislike and make an all-cash offer. 🏡 *

• Christmas lights
• Snowy scenes
• Carolers, Santas, elves, oh my!
• Seasonal food + drink