The Good Green Stuff – Pappardelle w/Kale Pesto

I had such a great visit with my son while he was on leave after his deployment. It had been just over a year since I had last seen him. I have to say he has changed but it’s all good. The Marines can take a boy and turn them into a man and teach him many lessons. To say I am proud of him would be an understatement. But I am proud of all my kids.

Having a Marine in the house who is a very much a meat eater and who had the cravings for some of his favorite dishes had me cooking more meat than I have in months. I am sure the other guys were happy too. I noticed the difference in how I felt that is for sure. It was one reason I decided to have the grilled portabella mushroom in my last post. I admit that now that he is back on his base doing his job, I am happily looking at lighter fare. Though we did talk about how he should try some of the Engine 2 recipes that were pretty darn hearty. You know, just for a change.

Kale is one of my favorite foods. I love growing it in my yard and finding all kinds of way to use it. When I saw an article by my favorite IIN teacher Dr. Andrew Weil on Anti-Aging diet I had to read it. I’ve always loved the foods he cooks. This beautiful kale dish caught my eye and my mouth started to water.  It the fit the bill for no meat after a meat fest of sorts.  When I read on that is takes no time to cook I knew it was a perfect “After Work Therapy” dish. My term for meals I cook after work that are from scratch but take next to no time and nourishing my need to be in the kitchen creating and my body’s need to be nourished nutritionally.

The great thing about this pesto, it stays bright green. Yummy!   It also has more micronutrients and protective phytonutrients. Do you need phytonutrients? Nope but they are the things that help protect you from disease and keep your body working well. I’ll consider that an extra bonus to eating them.

When I posted this on my personal Facebook page I was asked if you can use frozen. Yep, I did.  Yeah, yeah I know fresh is best but if your store is out and you have no time to drive to another store grab the frozen. Anyhow I almost always have a bag or two of kale in my freezer to toss into all kinds of things for a quick dinner.

How fast was this? How long does it take to boil water and cook pappardelle? That’s how fast it  took to make this. No really. I came home from work, did a few things, got dinner started and my son and I were done, dishes washed and put away and laughing over the thoughts of what happens to vegans when they become zombies while enjoying a brownie all in less than an hour. Yep, that’s fast.

Now this does call for cheese. I think I recently shared that I found out that parmigiano reggiano is made from sheep’s milk and I can have that. Cow dairy is what does me in. If you’re wanting a dairy free parm I’m posting an alternative at the bottom of the page.

Pappardelle W/Kale Pesto-serves 4

• • Pesto
  • 4 c stemmed chopped kale (about 1 bunch) or frozen defrosted
  • 1/2 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
  • 6 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 c pine nuts
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/4 tsp red-pepper flakes
  • Pasta
  • 1 lb fettuccine or pappardelle
  • 1 c grated Parmigiano-Reggiano + more for serving
  • toss with pesto. Serve with extra cheese, if desired.
  1. MAKE pesto: Bring large pot of water to a boil. Fill large bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Plunge kale into boiling water and cook 3 minutes. Using tongs, transfer kale to ice bath. (The cold water allows the kale to keep its bright-green color.) After 3 minutes, drain kale in colander, then squeeze it firmly to press out excess water.
  2. If using frozen kale just defrost and pat dry on paper towels to remove any excess water.
  3. PUT kale, remaining pesto ingredients, and 1 tsp salt in food processor and puree until smooth. (Makes 1 cup.) Transfer to a container, cover, and refrigerate until ready to use. (Keeps up to 3 days.)
  4. PREPARE pasta: Bring large pot of salted water to a boil. Add fettuccine and cook until al dente, per package directions. Just before the pasta is done, remove 2 tbsp of the pasta cooking water and add it to the pesto. Add cheese and mix well.
  5. DRAIN pasta and toss with pesto. Serve with extra cheese, if desired.

Walnut Parmesan Sprinkles

Ingredients:

1/2 cup walnut pieces

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. salt (optional)

Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and pulse to combine until walnut pieces are ground into a powder. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.