Pasta with Kale, Sausage, & Mushrooms

This quick weeknight dish makes kale a crowd-pleaser. 🙂 It was fabulous.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by David Latt. I used my CSA red kale instead of black kale and I doubled the mushrooms and the garlic. I also modified the cooking sequence. This recipe could easily be adapted to make a vegetarian version by omitting the sausage.

• 1 bunch red or black kale, washed, ribs removed, sliced into 1-inch ribbons
• 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages
• 8 oz (½ pound) shiitakes mushrooms, washed, thinly sliced
• 8 oz (½ pound) cremini mushrooms, washed, thinly sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped
• 4 shallots, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups chicken stock or pasta water, plus more to adjust consistency of sauce
• 1 T unsalted butter
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 1 pound pasta (spaghetti, ziti, penne, or fusilli) (I used La Molisana Pantacce Toscane, 106)
• 1 T Kosher salt for the pasta

1. Sauté with olive oil or grill the sausages to put a crust on the outside, drain on a paper towel, cut into 1/4-inch rounds, then set aside.
2. In a hot pan lightly brown the kale with the olive oil and remove.
3. Add the mushrooms, shallots, and garlic; sauté until lightly browned.
4. Turn down the heat to medium. Return the kale to the pan along with the sausages, stock, and butter. Braise for 15 minutes. The liquid should reduce by half.
5. Taste and adjust the seasoning with sea salt and pepper.
6. Meanwhile, make the pasta in boiling salted water, drain, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water, drizzle with olive oil, season with sea salt and black pepper, toss.
7. Add the cooked pasta to the sausage mixture, toss to coat with the sauce. Adjust consistency with reserved pasta water, as desired. Serve with grated cheese.

Raw Baby Red Kale Salad with Chiles & Pecorino

I was so happy to receive my first CSA box of the season. It has been such a LONG six months without a surprise box of fresh vegetables to look forward to every week! My box was loaded with tender spring greens including beautiful baby red kale- perfect for this salad and perfect for my guest post for Sonal of simplyvegetarian777. Sonal is my oldest friend in the blogosphere and is also one of my biggest supporters. She is always there with a “like” and a complementary comment on my posts- She is so kind to me!

This salad made a beautiful lunch that I thoroughly enjoyed. 🙂 This recipe was adapted from In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite: 150 Recipes & Stories About the Food You Love by Melissa Clark (my favorite New York Times contributor).

The guest post along with the lovely remarks Sonal said about my blog 🙂 can be found here. Healthy & Delicious!!

• 1 small bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or laminate) or Red Kale
• 2 thin slices country bread, 1 slice whole wheat bread (crusts removed), or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs
• 1/2 large garlic clove or 1 small garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch
• 1/4 cup (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese, plus additional for garnish
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Freshly squeezed lemon juice (from a generous half of a large lemon- about 3 T)
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

2. If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.

3. Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste.

4. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves).

5. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes. Serve topped with the bread crumbs and additional cheese.