We all love kale: with a boost of vitamins and antioxidants comes a great solution for a quick and easy meal. This simple recipe serves two, and a few of its ingredients are easily interchangeable. Use it as a base for one of those evenings when you think you don’t have anything to cook, and when you open the fridge and cupboard you realise it’s not so bad. All you need is one ingredient and a few complementary ones to make a delicious pasta dish.

Ingredients:
250g kale
2 cloves of garlic
2 slices of pancetta, chopped in small cubes (a great alternative is using chopped anchovies)
250g short pasta (I used fusilli)
a handful of cashew nuts (but you could use walnuts, pine nuts or any other)
50g grated parmesan

Step 1 – In a medium size pan, put an abundant amount of salted water to boil. Once it’s boiling, add the kale, and let it simmer for five minutes. Remove the kale from the pan without throwing the water away.

Step 2 – Put a small frying pan on the stove and when it’s hot add the cashew nuts. Let them toast gently, being careful not to burn them. You want a gentle brown colour on each of them, but not more than that. Put your cashew nuts on a side.

Step 3 – Bring the water in the pan to a boil again and add the pasta.

Step 4 – In the meantime, add some olive oil in a wok or a medium frying pan. Chop the garlic in slices and fry it with the pancetta until the latter is crispy. Instead of pancetta, you could use some chopped anchovies here, or your could add a chilly to make this dish more spicy. Add the kale to the mix and fry it until tender and completely cooked.

Step 5 – When your pasta is ready, drain it and add it to the wok. Keep it on the stove at medium-low heat, letting the pasta soak in the flavours of the other ingredients, and tossing the pan so all ingredients come together homogeneously. At the very end, so they don’t get soggy, add the cashew nuts. Sprinkle with some grated parmesan before serving.

Do you make kale with pasta as well? What’s your favourite way of cooking it?

Follow @blenderbasil