Orecchiette and Kale

Kale is the new "cool" vegetable that people are talking about. I wasn't sold on it until I had the kale salad with preserved lemon vinaigrette at Watkins Drinkery. It was delicious. I bought a head of kale at the grocery store but was unsure what to do with it. I ended up making a delicious pasta dish.  Here's how.

Start a pot of salted water to boil on the stove. When water comes to a full rolling boil, add one lb orecchiette or your favorite pasta. Cook until al dente.

While the water comes to a boil, chop the kale into thin strips, discarding the stems. Then heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Grate or mince two cloves of garlic and add to oil. I use a citrus zester to grate mine right into the oil. Add the chopped kale and saute until wilted.

Drain the pasta and return it to your pasta pot. Add a jar of tomato sauce, or your homemade sauce. Stir in sauteed kale. Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese.

Kale can tend to be bitter, as can garlic, but paired with a sweet tomato sauce it was delicious. The kale, although sauteed, adds a really nice texture to the pasta. I will definitely make this dish again.