Spaghetti with Braised Kale

Braised Kale... I'm really wondering how you feel about that... Keep in mind this recipe also involves pasta.  And who doesn't love pasta?  With Cheese!  I certainly do.  My first couple of years working, I was just starting to work my way out of a college diet and into a working girl diet complete with making real homemade dinners.  Sometimes from cookbooks and once in a great while from a cooking magazine.  Now as I subscribe to three and have more cookbooks then I know what to do with, those days seem like a long time ago.  The working girl/newly adult person diet included none of the nachos for dinner and pizza for three meals a day that sufficed in college.  Mostly it was the tried and true 'recipes' like taco night or spaghetti with a bottle of Ragu and sauteed hamburger.  But sometimes I got a bit 'fancy'.  One meal that I would make quite frequently which involved carbs & cheese (as you may now know, my two favorite food groups) was what Johnny would simply call 'my favorite'.  As in, "What's for dinner tonight?  Your favorite?"  Probably because it appeared on the menu at least twice a week.  I think this was mostly because it contained ingredients that I always had in the house and it could be made in a snap.  The recipe I am giving you here is a healthier and more upscale version of 'my favorite', which was white pasta with parmesan, red pepper flakes and butter.

"My favorite' slowly worked it's way out of my weekly menus.  I think as I got more into cooking and also realized that I had packed on a few lbs.  Turns out white pasta with just cheese and butter isn't really a well-rounded meal.  And I'm pretty sure it wasn't a coincidence that during this twice a week pasta and cheese eating fest that I was also at my heaviest weight.  Although I guess I should also mention that homemade hamburgers and the blue box of mac 'n cheese were also frequent menu options during that time, so I guess my favorite wasn't totally to blame.  (I told you I was transitioning from a college kid...)

But this is a way for me to bring it back.  This uses whole-wheat pasta instead of white, olive oil instead of butter and the addition of greens.  Yes, I have now learned that vegetables or not only an integral piece of the meal, but are actually good!  Of course, I still kept the parmesan and red pepper flakes as I pretty much put those on everything.

I should also mention that I adore Molly Wizenberg, whom this recipe came from.  I'm pretty sure we would be good friends if we met.  She writes a blog that I adore called Orangette, writes a monthly column for Bon Appetit and wrote this adorable book that I finished in maybe two days called A Homemade Life.  She was certainly an inspiration as I decided to write a food blog.

I had never braised greens before and I've made this recipe a few times.  The first time I couldn't find the lacinto kale so I used turnip greens, but I think you really could use whatever you like best.  I'm sure swiss chard would also work and I have to say that I'm kind of on the fence of what I liked better between the turnip greens and lacinto kale.  Winter is a great time for this recipe because the greens are of course in season and pasta always sounds good to me on a cold day.  I think it's perfect for a light, easy lunch.  And the greens alone would also make a great side dish.  I will now officially only braise my greens.  Best way, hands down.  Give it a shot...

Spaghetti with Braised Kale
Adapted from Bon Appetit October 2009


Ingredients:
1 lb lacinto kale (about 2 bunches) large center ribs and stems removed, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices
3 TBL olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1 TBL fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp - 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
salt
freshly ground pepper
freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Directions:
Rinse kale.  Drain; transfer to bowl with some water still clinging.  Heat 1 TBL olive oil to large pot over medium-high heat.  Add chopped onion and cook until translucent, approximately 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add sliced garlic and sprinkle with salt.  Cook until onion is golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.  Add kale and additional 1 TBL olive oil and toss until wilted, about 3 minutes.  Cover pot and reduce heat to medium-low.  Continue cooking until kale is very tender, stirring occasionally and adding water by tablepoonfuls if dry, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook spaghetti in medium pot of boiling salted water until tender, but still firm to the bite.  Follow package directions, less a minute or so.  Just before draining, dip a one cup measure in pot to capture some cooking liquid.  Drain spaghetti and add cooked spaghetti to kale mixture in pot.  Add lemon juice, enough cooking liquid to moisten, red pepper flakes if using and salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle spaghetti with a teaspoon of olive oil per serving and sprinkle with plenty of grated parmesan cheese and serve.