Cheese, Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Summertime Meal, Vegetarian

Kale and Walnut Pasta

April 18, 2024

Garlicky kale with toasted walnuts and salty, robust pecorino interlaced between strands of spaghetti is irresistible. So gather up a few ingredients and make this delicious, healthy pasta dinner. It’s a beautiful dish to serve to guests with thick slices of good sourdough bread.

You won’t need to drive around all morning looking for special ingredients. This inexpensive, tasty, and healthy pasta dish is a one-stop shop kind of meal.

Tuscan kale is preferred for this recipe but you could certainly use curly kale in its place. I love the dark blue-green leaves of Tuscan kale.

Smell and taste your walnuts before toasting to ensure they are fresh and not rancid. Eating a rancid nut is very unpleasant!

Whether you are a vegetarian or not, this pasta dish is a winner. I especially love the crunchy well-seasoned walnuts. Make sure to add them just before serving so they keep their crispy texture.

Kale and Walnut Pasta

Recipe by Kiyo

Servings

servings

Adapted from NYT Cooking

Ingredients

1/2 cup (2 ounces) walnuts, chopped into bite-size pieces
4 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided + more as needed
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) red pepper flakes
10-12 ounces Tuscan kale, ribs removed, chiffonade leaves into thin ribbons (you want to have at least 7 ounces)
8 ounces spaghetti
1/2 large lemon, cut in half
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons finely grated pecorino or a combination of pecorino and parmesan

Directions

Place walnuts in a large pan (12-inch or 10-inch with 2 1/2-inch sides) with a lid, and turn the heat up to medium. Toast the walnuts, stirring occasionally, until just fragrant, about 3 minutes, taking care not to burn them. Add 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, give a stir for 1 minute and transfer to a small bowl. Wipe out the pan to make sure there aren’t any walnut pieces remaining.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta. While the pasta water is heating, add 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic to the clean (12-inch) pan and cook over low, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, stir and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium, add the kale to the pan in batches, using tongs to turn and wilt the kale in the garlicky oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Once all the kale is in the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Add the spaghetti to the pot of water at this point and cook until al dente, according to package directions. As the spaghetti cooks, add a couple of ladles (about 1/2 cup) of the starchy pasta water to the kale to help it wilt down.
Squeeze 1 piece of the lemon over the kale and toss. Taste the kale and add more lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Keep in mind you will be adding salty pecorino or parmesan to the pasta.
Once the pasta is cooked, set the pot next to the pan and use tongs to transfer the spaghetti to the kale. Ladle in more of the starchy water (about 1/2 cup) add 1-2 tablespoons reserved olive oil, toss well until the pasta is glossy and silky. Add half of the walnuts and 1/4 cup of the grated cheese tossing to combine. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and another squeeze of lemon to taste. Remove from the heat and transfer pasta to a large, low-sided serving bowl. Shower with 2 tablespoons reserved cheese, top with the remaining walnuts and serve.

Notes

You may increase the pasta to 10 ounces for larger serving portions. If you have leftovers, keep in mind the walnuts will lose their crunchy texture but will still be delicious.

Beef, Dinner, Italian, Pork, Recipes, Sandwiches

Italian Meatloaf

December 26, 2020

When I was growing up meatloaf was a mainstay of my mom’s repertoire. She was an excellent cook who made tasty, old fashioned recipes such as beef stew, creamed tuna, pan-fried pork chops and the best brownies and lemon meringue pie ever. Here we are nearing the end of 2020, and meatloaf is just as popular as it was when I was a kid.

This Italian version of meatloaf is an excellent way to put a new twist on an old classic. The sweet Italian sausage creates an intensely flavorful meatloaf. A can of crushed tomatoes along with a few other ingredients turns into a luscious, rich sauce that certainly requires garlic bread to round out the meal.

The sauce is so simple to make. Crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, dried oregano, salt and red pepper flakes are all you need.

The first time I made this recipe I was shocked at how much sauce there was prior to baking the meatloaf. I was almost certain that the entire dish might be a flop because of the amount of sauce called for. I was pleasantly surprised to see that it had reduced to a thick, rich and delicious sauce, in fact just the perfect amount for the meatloaf.

We have eaten the meatloaf with many different sides such as buttered pasta, mashed potatoes, and in a sandwich. It is a very versatile main dish that freezes and reheats well. You can switch out the cheddar and mozzarella cheese with pepper jack cheese, or use mozzarella with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.

Italian Meatloaf

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Adapted from Cook's Country

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 8

Ingredients

Sauce:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you want a spicy sauce)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Meatloaf:
35 squares saltines
¾ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 pound ground sirloin or other lean ground beef
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1/2 cup)
3 tablespoons fresh basil (julienned or chopped just before serving)

Preparation

Special equipment: Broiler safe 13 by 9-inch baking dish
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 400 degrees.
Sauce: Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook until softened but not browned, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper flakes, oregano and salt. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover to keep warm.
Meatloaf: Spray broiler-safe 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Place saltines in a large zipper lock bag, seal bag, and using a rolling pin crush crackers to fine crumbs. In a large bowl, whisk saltines with milk and eggs. Let sit until the saltines are softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk saltine mixture until a smooth paste forms. Mix in beef, sausage, Parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper and pepper flakes with your hands (I use disposable gloves) until thoroughly combined.Transfer beef mixture to prepared dish. Using wet hands (or disposable gloves) shape into a 9 by 5-inch rectangle. The top should be flat and the meatloaf should be 1½-inches thick. Pour sauce over the meatloaf. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and place on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the meatloaf registers 160 degrees, about 1 hour 5 minutes to 1¼ hours.
Remove sheet pan from oven, uncover dish, and sprinkle cheese evenly over the top of the meatloaf. Heat broiler. Broil meatloaf until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes.
To serve, transfer the meatloaf using 2 spatulas to a cutting board to make 1-inch thick slices. Or, slice directly in the baking dish. Spoon off any excess oil from the tomato sauce. Scatter julienned or chopped basil over the top and into the sauce just before serving.

Red Pepper Flakes

Kale and Walnut Pasta