Keeping it Light with Pasta

Pasta - light??? You bet - just follow this recipe for one of the healthiest pasta dishes you'll ever have! Its all about the greens - kale - lots of it! This is an impressive sampling of kale picked up at the EGFM - red kale, lacinato kale, curly kale, and green kale.

Here's what you need: 

2 bunches kale

5 Tbsp olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 - 3 Cucarachas from Market Day

1/3 cup golden raisins

1 box cherry or grape tomatoes

a package of whole wheat pasta from Vera Pasta

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup basil chiffonade

salt and pepper to taste

Let's start with the greens. Give them a good bath, then remove the spine of the leaf - its simple: fold the leaf in half to expose the spine and remove with a sharp knife.

Now you're going to chiffonade the kale - first roll up the leaf - 

 You'll end up with a cigar like shape - 

Using a sharp knife, slice the kale cigar to make thin ribbons - here's quite an impressive mountain of chiffonade kale - 

To cook the kale - heat about 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan over medium / low - add 3 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 - 3 crumbled cucarachas - and allow to cook for about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Add about 1/3 cup of golden raisins to the pan and saute another minute or two.

Now add the chiffonade of kale  - gradually - tossing after each addition to coat with the olive oil.

Once all of the kale has been added cook only until the kale is wilted - do not overcook the kale - 3 - 4 minutes! Set aside for now. 

Now pan roast the tomatoes. In a small sauce pan add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic, chopped. Saute over low/medium heat until softened - about 2 minutes. Add one pint of cherry or grape tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes slowly at a low heat until they start to break down - about 10 minutes. Meanwhile start boiling water to cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta to al dente. While the pasta is cooking warm the greens, then toss with the cooked pasta and 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese. I added about 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water to help to blend it all together. Top with the pan roasted tomatoes and 1/4 cup of basil chiffonade. This is so delicious - and ever so nutritious!

What to sip whilst cooking - well, we cannot sell this at the EGFM because EG Township is dry - DRAT! If you find yourself in Boyertown - about an hour from East Goshen - stop by Frecon Farm and pick up some of their hard cider - this is the favorite in the EGFM kitchen - Early Man!