Serving: ½ lb of pasta with veggies (Yield: 6 servings)
Ingredients
1 lb of whole wheat penne (look for pasta made with %100 whole wheat in the ingredient list)
1 lb of kale, leaves torn from stems and center ribs (save stems and ribs for soup stock), roughly chopped
1/3 cup of chopped hazelnuts or sliced almonds
3 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 of medium onion, chopped
1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of pepper
1/2 cup of grated Parmigiano-reggiano
3 Tbsp of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Steps
Cook the penne according to the package instructions, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and set aside.
Heat a large stockpot over medium heat and add the olive oil and nuts. Cook, stirring until golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate. Cook garlic, onion, pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper in remaining oil, stirring occasionally 8-10 minutes. Add the kale and 1 cup of the pasta water, cook 2-3 minutes until the kale wilts and is tender. Return the nuts to the stockpot along with the pasta, cheese, and butter.
Cook over low heat, stirring, 1 minute, moistening with additional pasta water, if needed. Serve immediately.
