Pasta with Kale and Walnuts



Whole grain pasta, kale, walnuts, a glistening of olive oil
and an optional sprinkle of finely grated Parmesan cheese.


When you cook a huge bunch of kale in season, there are usually leftovers.  Son #2 is a nut for kale and his tortoise "Zub" loves the raw trimmings.  Lucky for her (Zub), son #2 has planted three different kinds of kale in the raised organic planter beds he built in our backyard.  (You have got to check these out.  I will post pictures later).  As a project for his future career, he loves to experiment in our backyard and has planted lots of other good things that we will discuss in their season.

For today's recipe we are using left-over sauteed kale.   I think this is a sexy veggie.  It boosts everything....  well, you just feel good after eating it for a while.

serves:  6                    prep time:  20 minutes

6 ounces dried whole wheat linguine, cooked and drained
1 cup packed left-over sauteed kale (see previous blog entry)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

While the pasta is cooking, chop the cooked kale into small pieces.  Likewise chop the walnuts into uniform chunks big enough to be picked up by a fork. 

Dump the cooked and drained pasta into a large bowl and add the kale and walnuts.  Drizzle with olive oil until moist and season to taste with salt and pepper.   Serve with optional Parmesan cheese.

As a side dish, it offers over 2 g fiber and protein, and of course it is high in essential vitamins and minerals.  I like this dish for its tasty heartiness and coming in around 100 calories per serving.

-  Kim Fielding