Pesto Kale Pasta

Our local farmer's market has basil at incredible prices. Basil is one of my favorite flavors: it reminds me of summer, gardening, fresh mozzarella and eating outside.

A few weeks ago, we got a tremendous amount of basil and almost immediately processed it into a huge jar of pesto. Our pesto is distinctly garlicky, with a few hunks of parmesan and pine nuts ground in, and plenty of fruity olive oil.

We use it on lots of things: sandwiches, rice bowls, pastas, salads, crackers...

Most recently, we combined it with kale, white beans and pasta to create a quick and easy dinner.

We used white beans because of their neutral flavor and soft texture--a great way to add creaminess to a pasta dish without busting out the dairy. We made a big batch in our slow cooker to use in chili and the leftovers went into this dish.

The next day, I added some fresh corn to my leftovers and it became a whole new meal: crunchy, sweet and lightly summery, instead of warm, creamy and comforting summer flavors. Make it either way.

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Pesto Kale Pasta
serves 4-6


1 lb shaped pasta
1T olive oil
1T chili flakes
15 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed with the side of your knife
3 bunches kale, washed, gently dried and chopped (feel free to remove the stems--I think it's a pain)
2 cobs of corn, kernels only (optional)
2c cooked white beans
0.5c pesto

1. Bring copious amounts of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente--usually 2-3 minutes short of time indicated on package. RESERVE 2 CUPS OF COOKING LIQUID BEFORE DRAINING.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide, lidded pot. (We used our wok. A dutch oven would also work.)
3. Add the chili flakes and garlic, stirring gently for 1-2minutes or until fragrant.
4. Add the kale to the pan, stir/toss to combine, and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes, or until wilted. If all the liquid evaporates, add 0.25c of pasta water.
5. Stir corn kernels and beans into kale and let warm.
6. Meanwhile, add pesto and 1c of pasta water to pasta pot; bring to a boil and let thicken for 1 minute. Stir in pasta and simmer for 2 minutes. There should still be some sauce left--if not, add pasta water, 0.25c at a time.
7. Gently combine pasta, sauce and vegetables. Serve in warm bowls, with extra parmesan cheese.
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Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or emailing me at piquantprose [at] gmail [dot] com.

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Everyday Veggies: 20 Minute Dinner

Our meal contracts ended at the end of the semester (almost three weeks ago). Because we're on campus training, we are given per diem to pay for our food.

Our budget for this week is $12/day. I know this seems like a lot, but with no cooking equipment, and very few resources (like olive oil, or spices) this is a pretty limited budget. It feels even smaller when you need to eat between 3000 and 4000 calories a day just to maintain weight.

So I've been all about cheap, easy, fast meals. (When it's 95 and you finished practice at 7PM, easy and fast are key ingredients.)

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20-Minute Dinner: Rice and Veggies
serves 2 (generously)

Equipment
stove
big pot
frying pan
knife

Ingredients
1c white rice ($0.50)
a large bunch of kale ($2)
0.5 small head of purple cabbage ($0.50)
pre-chopped mushrooms (or you can chop your own)  ($2)
0.25 medium onion (optional) ($0.08)
olive oil (as much as you can pilfer from the public kitchen)
chili flakes, or whatever other spices you find in the kitchen

Directions
1. Put the rice and 2c of water into a big pot. (Use more rice to stretch this meal even further.) Turn it to high.
2. Remove the stems from the kale. Keeping them separate, chop the cabbage and the onion.
3. When the rice boils, turn it to low and add the kale to the pot. Put the lid on.
4. Heat olive oil in a frying pan. When it's hot, add the spices and onions. Cook 2-3 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cabbage. Continue cooking until the mushrooms and cabbage are softening, about 5 minutes. (If you like well-cooked mushrooms, add these before the cabbage.)
5. Add the mushrooms/cabbage to the big pot. (The rice should be finished cooking at this point.) Mix everything together and enjoy.
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This would also be good with some romano grated over the top, or with frozen spinach instead of kale. The spinach would be a lot cheaper.

Still, $5 for two very generous servings was a great deal. (More rice would have made it an even cheaper meal, albeit less nutritious, by stretching it to three servings. Unfortunately, it was the last of my rice.)

The meal was capped off with raspberry sorbet from the The Bent Spoon and chocolate-hazelnut fudge sauce, courtesy of the public refrigerator. (Everybody has left for the summer--these were clearly abandoned by their previous owners.) Free dessert! YAY!


Let me know what you think by leaving a comment or emailing me at piquantprose [at] gmail [dot] com.

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