Pasta with Kale

Last week I came across an old recipe that I hadn't made in years. I decided that I would pull it back out and re-visit it. I must say, I had forgotten how absolutely delicious it was and can't for the life of me figure out why it had been so long since I made it.


It is a vegetarian dish that is so absolutely yummy that the carnivores I live with didn't even miss the meat. In fact, that night our dinner table sounded quite similar to a particular scene out of the movie, "What About Bob?". Oh, you know the one I'm talking about! And if you don't - you really need to rent that movie. It's hysterical! Anyhoo...somewhere in between all the mmm's and oh, this is so goods, my husband, the meat and potato man (his dad was a butcher) makes this remark; "You need to make this again. It's absolutely BURSTING with flavor!" He sure knows how to make me feel good! Even Mini Me was thrilled with supper that night.


So, now that I've whet your appetite...let me just add that all you have to do to round out this dish for a complete meal is to simply serve it with some crusty French bread and a wonderful salad on the side. I truly hope that your family enjoys it as much as mine did.



Pasta with Kale:

1 lb. box of whole wheat pasta (penne, rigatoni or twists)
1/2 c. sun-dried tomatoes
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 lb. kale, coarse stems & midribs removed, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. capers with 1 tbsp. of their juice
3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
salt to taste

1. Soak the sun-dried tomatoes in hot water until they are soft, about 10 min. Drain, cut them into pieces, and reserve.

2. Begin cooking pasta. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in large skillet & saute onion over med-high heat until golden. Add red pepper flakes & sun-dried tomatoes. Stir-fry for 1 minute longer.

3. Add the kale, tossing well to wilt. Add garlic & cook, stirring frequently for 5 min. Add capers and their juice. Remove from heat.

4. When pasta is cooked al dente, remove from heat, drain well, & mix it with the kale. Add salt to taste. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.



*A few notes:

a) I had leftover collards in the fridge and used them in place of the kale and it was fine. Any green would probably work as well. However, if you're buying it specifically for this recipe, I would recommend buying the kale. It's personally my favorite green.

b) It calls for sun-dried tomatoes. If you can't find them you can also use the ones packed in oil and just drain them. They are usually found in the produce department.

c) Don't skip the capers. You can find them in the aisle with the pickles.

d) If you are going to use Parmesan cheese, go for the wedge of it you buy in the cheese aisle. There is really no comparison between it and the powdered stuff you get in a jar. It's also cost effective because a little goes a long way.


I'm linking up with Teach Me Tuesdays and These Chicks Cooked.