Killer Kale Pasta Food

KILLER KALE SALAD

Steps:

• Fry the bacon bits in a skillet over medium heat until slightly crisp. Drain the bacon on a paper towel. Pour out most of the grease from the skillet and add the butter. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove them to a plate. Add the mushrooms and stir, then add the wine and some salt and pepper. Turn the heat to medium high and cook until most of the wine has evaporated and the mushrooms are soft, for several minutes. Set aside.
• Add the olive oil, vinegar, thyme and some salt and pepper to a mason jar and shake it to combine.
• Remove the kale leaves from the stalks, then roll them up in batches and slice very thinly. Place the kale in a bowl. Add half the dressing and toss. Then add the mushrooms, onions and bacon and toss again. Finally, add the goat cheese and more dressing if needed and toss. (Reserve any extra dressing for another use.)
• Serve it up and enjoy!

KILLER KALE PASTA

Steps:

• Rub the red bell peppers all over with olive oil and place directly over a direct flame to char on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the flame and place into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to steam for about 10 minutes. Once cool to the touch, remove the steamed peppers from the bowl and pull off the charred skin, stem and seeds. Cut into slices and set aside until ready to use.
• Set a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and saute the garlic with the shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the shallots are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, and then add the white wine. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the cans of tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Mix well and bring to a steady boil. Reduce the heat so it is simmering.
• Meanwhile, prepare the kale by removing stems and discarding. Tear the leaves up into bite-size pieces. Fold into the tomato sauce along with the chicken. Toss to combine and cover with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes, and if you notice that the vegetables are "dry," add 1 cup chicken stock. Simmer until the kale is tender, all the flavors have come together and the sauce is thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook the rigatoni pasta al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions, 8 to10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add directly to the Dutch oven with the finished sauce. Toss to coat everything and cook over low heat (this allows the last cooking of the pasta to be done in the sauce), 2 to 3 minutes. Add a little of the starchy pasta water if needed.
• Serve the pasta in large bowls and top with spoonfuls of grated Parmesan and extra red chili flakes. Goes great with a chianti or merlot!

KALE-SAUCE PASTA

Steps:

• Put a large pot of generously salted water over high heat, and bring to a boil. In a small skillet over medium heat, add olive oil and garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to sizzle. Reduce heat to low, and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light gold, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• When water is boiling, add kale leaves, and cook until tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Pull out the hot, dripping kale leaves with tongs, and put directly into a blender. (Don't drain the pot; you'll use that same boiling water to cook the pasta.) Add garlic and its oil to the blender, along with a splash of hot water from the pot if you need some more liquid to get the blender going. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, then blend again.
• Add the pasta to the still-boiling water, and cook according to directions on the package. Ladle out about a cup of the water to save for finishing the dish, then drain the pasta and return it to the dry pot. Add the kale purée, about 3/4 of the grated cheese and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Toss until all the pasta is well coated and bright green, adding another splash of pasta water if needed so that the sauce is loose and almost creamy in texture. Serve in bowls right away, and top with an extra drizzle of olive oil and the rest of the grated cheese.

KALE, TOMATO, AND LEMON MAGIC ONE-POT SPAGHETTI

Steps:

• Fill and boil a kettle of water and get all your ingredients and equipment together. You need a large, shallow pan with a lid.
• Put the pasta into the pan. Quickly chop the tomatoes in half and throw them into the pan. Grate in the zest of both lemons and add the oil and salt. Add about 1 quart/1 liter of boiling water, put a lid on the pan, and bring back to a boil. Remove the lid and simmer on high heat for 6 minutes, using a pair of tongs to turn the pasta every 30 seconds or so as it cooks.
• Meanwhile, remove any tough stalks from the kale or spinach and coarsely tear the leaves. Once the pasta has had 6 minutes, add the kale and continue to cook for a further 2 minutes.
• Once almost all the water has evaporated, take the pan off the heat and tangle the pasta into four bowls. If you like, top with a little Parmesan.

CREAMY PESTO & KALE PASTA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Fry the onions for 10 mins until softened and beginning to caramelise. Add the kale and 100ml water, then cover and cook for 5 mins more, or until the kale has wilted.
• Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta with the onion mixture, cream cheese and pesto, adding a splash of the reserved cooking water to loosen, if needed. Season.