Sage and Lemon Kale Pasta (Vegetarian)
Both comfortably creamy and bright with citrus and greens, this Sage and Lemon Kale Pasta makes a warming lunch on a wet and chill Autumn day.
Ingredients (serves 1):
2 large fresh kale leaves, rinsed
1 ¼ cup whole-wheat penne (or other short pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ large lemon
half a dozen large (or a dozen smaller) leaves Garden Sage
a small garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Once boiling, add kale leaves and cook, a couple of minutes. Plunge kale leaves immediately in a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Set aside.
Add penne to the pot of salted boiling water and cook, according to package’s directions, about 9 to 11 minutes until al dente.
In the meantime, heat olive oil in a medium, deep skillet, over medium heat.
Grate in the zest of the lemon halve.
Finely chop Sage leaves, and add to the skillet. Fry, 1 minute.
Stir in garlic. Cook, 1 minute more.
Squeeze the water out of the kale leaves, cut off their hard stalks, and roughly chop them. Add to the skillet, and fry gently, a couple of minutes or so. Thoroughly squeeze in the juice of the lemon halve.
Stir in crème fraîche. Season with cracked black pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, a couple of minutes more until sauce just thickens.
Once the pasta is cooked, drain, saving about 1/4 cup of its starchy water, and stir pasta into the sauce, gradually adding starchy water, until the kale and sauce beautifully coats the penne. Stir well to combine.
Enjoy Sage and Lemon Kale Pasta hot.
