I am trying to remember the first time I made something with kale, and honestly I am at a loss. All I know is that I love it, I crave it, and it is delicious. It is a gorgeous plant. It holds up better than spinach. We eat it about once a week at least. I love it in soups, mashed potatoes (colcannon), eggs, and pasta. For some reason I have still not gotten around to making kale chips, but I will be sure to remedy that soon.
This dish is something I happened upon one day browsing the intersuperhigways, and I am so glad I did. We make this almost weekly. My husband adores it. It is easy, inexpensive, tasty as the dickens, and makes a ton. It reheats well the next day for lunch. All you need are some chickpeas, sausage, garlic, tomatoes, kale, and whole wheat pasta. Oh yes, and some cheese. I will tell you that in this dish the cheese at the end really ties the room together. Splurge on a decent wedge of Parmesan for this. You will be surprised how long it lasts in the fridge as you don't need a ton of it due to the strong flavor. You can also keep the rind in the freezer and add it to soup someday.
If you haven't tried kale, or you haven't had it recently, or you love it and eat it all the time, try this. Trust me.
Pasta With Chickpeas, Sausage, and Kale
1/4 C. olive oil
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
12 oz. andouille sausage, sliced - I use Zenner's. It is local and extremely good.
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can fire roasted tomatoes
1 head kale, or 5-6 cups, torn into small pieces - Any variety will be delicious!
1 lb. whole wheat pasta - Penne or rotini work well.
Parmesan cheese
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. When oil is hot, add chickpeas and sausage. Stir to coat with oil. Cook 8-10 minutes, until chickpeas and sausage start to brown. Throw in the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes.
Add the can of tomatoes and add all of the kale. There will be a lot of kale, so just kind of shove it in there. It will shrink! If there is a lot sometimes I will put a lid on for a few minutes to help it steam down. Cook around 8 minutes or until kale is wilted and tender.
Throw your pasta in boiling water when you put in the kale and tomatoes. This way they will be ready around the same time. Drain pasta and mix with sauce. If it is too dry add a splash of olive oil. Dish up, sprinkle some shredded cheese, consume with vigor!
PRO TIP - Use the colander that you drained and rinsed your beans in to hold the kale while tearing and also to drain the noodles. I only ever dirty a skillet, a pot, and a colander for this.
