Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Braised Kale with Pasta



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have in my lifetime been called many things. Au courant has never been has never been one of them. That probably explains how it happened I "discovered" Gojee months after the rest of the blogging community had been seduced by its photography and hand-curated recipes. The site houses a really special collection of dishes that I found while doing a search for recipes that use kale. Gojee pointed me back to a recipe that had been developed by Molly Wizenberg for Bon Appetit Magazine. As it happened, I didn't have all the ingredients I need to make her dish, but I had enough of them to fashion a pasta that was close to it. Bob is still recovering from surgery, so a trip to the store was out of the question and I had to go with what I had on hand. Similar would have to be good enough. Molly's pasta sounds delicious and you can see her original recipe, here. My version of the dish appears below, but before you skim through it I want to issue a warning regarding the use of salt. Proceed with caution. The pancetta and Parmesan are both salty. Do no additional salting until you taste the completed sauce. Remember you can always put more in, but once it's there you're stuck. Nuff said! Here's the recipe.

Braised Kale with Pasta...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Molly Wizenburg via Gojee.com

Ingredients:
1 bunch lacinato kale,washed, large center ribs and stems removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
8 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4-oz. diced pancetta
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound spaghetti

Directions:
1) Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot set over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add sliced garlic and diced pancetta and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add kale. Drizzle with reserved tablespoon olive oil and cook until leaves wilt. Add water and cover pot. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until kale is tender, about 20 minutes. Add lemon juice. Sprinkle with cheese and toss well. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
2) Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot. Moisten with 2 tablespoons reserved cooking liquid; toss to combine, adding more liquid by tablespoonfuls if dry. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Chocolate Peanut Butter Torte

43 comments :

SKIP TO MALOU said...

wow i'm first to comment... yay!
this pasta looks absolutely divine with your improvisation.. i'm sure it brought the same joy sharing it with your husband... and oh btw, ihope he recovers fast from the surgery.
blessings,
malou

tinyskillet said...

It does look perfect to me. Hope everything is going well.

Ginny Hartzler said...

Your husband just had surgery?

Gloria said...

Hi, Mary. In my lifetime, I have been called many things too. :)
This recipe looks really good and HEALTHY! Yum...
Best,
Gloria
P.S. I will say a prayer for Bob's quick recovery!

Skye (Skye Loves...) said...

What a lovely combination. Kale - so healthy. And pasta - so yummy. Looks like pretty much the perfect meal.

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

Must add this recipe to my list!! I am trying to eat more kale and green things this year. Did not know the Silver Fox had surgery. Blessings to both of you and a quick recovery for him. Susan

Debbie said...

I'm a huge fan of kale and love it in this dish. Pasta and kale...a winner!

StephenC said...

How did you know we have an enormous bunch of kale in the fridge. It's not the lacinato variety, but that doesn't matter. You're a star. Regards to the Silver Fox.

Kim said...

I really like this pasta dish. It sounds good, plus kale is a superfood that we don't want to deprive ourselves of!

Unknown said...

I still haven't found my love for kale yet.. it always seems so bitter to me.. but this dish does look so very good! Maybe it will be the dish that changes my mind?? :)

Hope Bob's recovery is a speedy one!

Tanna said...

Sounds simple and satisfying!! Hoping the Silver Fox is recovering nicely!! blessings ~ tanna

The Blonde Duck said...

I'm too distracted by the pb torte....

Suzi said...

This looks perfect, love kale and of course pasta. This may be dinner tonight as I have some kale I need to use up. Thanks.

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Pasta is on tip of my tongue today.

Cindy@NorthofWiarton said...

Wishes and a prayer for Bob's speedy recovery, Mary. I so much love pasta, however it loves my body just as much. Happy day to you, Mary.

From the Kitchen said...

I'm wishing Bob well as he heals. This sounds like a comforting meal to serve one needing recovering strength.

Best,
Bonnie

Natalie said...

what a fantastic meal! i absolutely love kale and am always looking for new ways to use it!

Lyndas recipe box said...

This is a fantastic looking dish Mary.
Hope your husband is doing well.

Ola said...

Oh, I love this pasta! but you should try kale gently fried on garlic olive oil with a pinch of mustard seeds - that'smy favourite version of those leaves :) Blessings :)

What's Baking?? said...

You just gave me a great recipe to prepare 'dry' pasta. Thanks, Mary!

Claudia said...

I've made Molly's recipe and yours holds up deliciously. It has ease, taste and nutrition - what else do you want? Thinking of you two.

Anonymous said...

Lovely pasta dish, the kale is so delicious and I love that you use the pancetta to balance it all out - delicious
mary x

Judy@SavoringToday said...

Always looking for new ways to add kale to the menu, this sounds quite good and easy to prepare.

Sue/the view from great island said...

It's such a joy to see your daily dish, I am in awe of your energy. This looks healthy and delicious, I'm sure it will give Bob a boost. My thoughts are with you!

Fleur said...

This sounds really good!

grubarazzi said...

Pancetta and Kale is a wonderful combination. I really really love this recipe. Can't wait to try it.

Eliana said...

Looks so simple and healthy but still quite flavorful.

Big Dude said...

Sounds outstanding Mary and a great way to get healthy kale into a dish.

Unknown said...

This looks delicious and healthy! But, boy, that peanut butter pie, errrrr..... Hope your husband recovers quickly! Thanks for your visit today.

Diane said...

This dish sounds delish. Hope Bob is doing well and soon recovers. Take care Diane

Priya Suresh said...

Seriously cant take my eyes from ur irresistible click,super tempting pasta..

schmetterlingwords said...

Hello Mary, thank you for visiting my space and your lovely comments. I'm really honoured. :)

It's awesome to just browse through your space. You are indeed posting every day!! Oh, I could just say: You are a great cook!!!

Keep rocking and I shall be visiting often too :)

SImple and Serene Living said...

I am such a huge kale fan. Can't wait to try this one. Hope your husband is feeling better from his surgery soon.
Laura

Norma Chang said...

Your pasta dish, simple and easy to prepare, looks delicious. More people are discovering kale, a good thing. I am going to plant more kale varieties this year.

Pam said...

This sounds delicious and looks really good. Love that shade of green! Here's wishing you and your hubby the best!

Patricia said...

Hi Mary, I have kale, pasta and parmesan. Thanks for the inspiration. The last time I tried kale (for the first time), I made a potato, sausage, and kale soup. I wasn't too fond of the sausage flavor, but I loved the kale.

Juliana said...

Mary, what a nice and tasty pasta dish...kale and panceta are just a perfect match.
Hope you are having a wonderful week :)

teresa said...

mmm, this seems like such a simple dish, but so rich in flavor at the same time. delicious!

Mini Baker said...

i love kale- and its so good for you!!

Ellen Whyte said...

I love kale. We have a few local varieties here in Malaysia that vary from peppery spicy to sweet.

Joanne said...

Isn't gojee fabulous! I love a good healthy pasta dish like this, especially full of vibrant lemony flavor.

sally Cameron said...

Love, love, love the Stunning recipes! Fresh, healthy and delicious. You are inspiring!!!looks yummy! will definitely try this!i love your blog! thanks for the great recipe…
http://all4payday.com

Tina said...

I made a variation of this last night for dinner. Served it as a side dish with baked lemon pepper chicken breasts. Used a bit of bacon instead of pancetta and added fresh red bell pepper along with the onion. Used wheat penne and added pan drippings from the chicken for moisture.My husband is not a vegetable eater and he said it was good! Coming from him that is amazing. =)

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