Kale and Ricotta Pasta
This beautiful vibrant green sauce will work with any leafy green, but I love it best with kale, which completely transforms after steaming and pureeing. You will need a decent blender or food processor to blend the cooked kale properly for this recipe.
Servings: 4
Calories: 806kcal
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb kale any variety will work, see notes
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic squashed with the back of a knife and peeled
- 1/2 tsp fine salt
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 lb dried pasta I prefer short shapes like penne or rigatoni for this dish
- 2/3 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese
- 1 lemon juiced, optional but it really lifts the whole dish
- 1 cup ricotta cheese whole milk; I have been known to use up to a cup and a half because I love the stuff
Instructions
- Preheat your steam oven to Steam, 212F/100C (100% humidity).
- While the oven preheats, wash the kale well, and cut the ribs from the center of each leaf. You'll have to decide here if you think the ribs are tender enough to use - if they're very large and tough I save them to add to a soup or stock, as they'll give this dish a chunky texture that's unwelcome. If you're using them, finely chop the ribs, and put them into the largest stainless steel tray that'll fit into your steam oven. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to the tray, then pile the kale leaves on top. It's going to be a lot in the pan but it will collapse. If you have a compact steam oven you may want to use two separate pans to contain all the kale.1.5 lb kale
- Put the kale into your preheated oven and steam for 10-12 minutes. The chopped ribs and the leaves should be tender but not mushy; you may need to adjust your cooking time depending on how thick and tough your kale leaves are. Curly kale will take the longest; Tuscan/Lacinato in between, and the softer Red Russian will have the shortest steaming time.
- While the kale is cooking, heat a fry pan over medium heat and add the olive oil and garlic. Cook until the garlic begins to sizzle, then reduce heat to low, and cook very gently until garlic is soft and begins to turn light golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.¼ cup olive oil, 4 cloves garlic
- When the kale is cooked, transfer it directly into a blender or food processor, along with the liquid from the steaming tray. Add the garlic and its oil, and the salt and pepper. Blend into a fine, thick green purée. You may need to add a little more hot water to get the sauce to blend to a smooth consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, then blend again. Set aside while you cook the pasta.1/2 tsp fine salt, 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt well, and cook your pasta according to directions on the package. Ladle out about a cup of the water and reserve, then drain the pasta and return it to the dry pot.1 lb dried pasta
- Add the kale purée and parmesan cheese, and a splash of the reserved pasta water. Add a big squeeze of lemon juice, if using, then toss until all the pasta is well coated and bright green. Add more pasta water if needed so that the sauce is loose and almost creamy in texture. Serve immediately in warmed bowls, with the ricotta cheese generously dotted over the top of each serving.2/3 cup coarsely grated parmesan cheese, 1 lemon, 1 cup ricotta cheese
Notes
- Kale. As mentioned above, this will work with any kale variety, you just need to alter your steaming time to suit. Baby leaves and varieties which are naturally more tender will take less time, while tougher curly kale or large Tuscan kale leaves take longer. Be guided by the tenderness of your vegetables rather than time; you want the leaves to be soft and collapsing but not mushy and disintegrating.
- Other greens. This recipe will work with spinach, arugula/rocket, and many other leafy greens. It's especially good for using up the larger, overgrown leaves that end up in your veggie garden at the end of a growing season! As with the kale, just alter your steaming time according to how soft and tender your greens are.
- Other uses for kale sauce. There are so many ways to use this lovely sauce!
*Toss it with roasted pumpkin, potatoes or sweet potato for a beautiful hearty vegetable dish (keep the parmesan and ricotta finishes too).
*Smear it on toast and top with poached eggs.
*Dollop it into soup or stew.
*Mix it through cooked beans.
I think you get the idea; let me know what you do with it!
Nutrition
Calories: 806kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 738mg | Potassium: 1177mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 23071IU | Vitamin C: 227mg | Calcium: 940mg | Iron: 6mg
