Pasta with Kale and Chickpeas

Pasta with Kale and Chickpeas

Although we are not Catholic, we ate a meat-free dinner today in recognition of Good Friday. I found this recipe a few months ago in my quest to find kid-friendly recipes that contain cruciferous vegetables. The recipe below is modifed from one found in Recipes from the Root Cellar. Kale, the featured cruciferous vegetable, isn't something that I have a lot of experience eating, let alone cooking. This recipe proved to be easy, tasty and Janie approved. She ate an adult-sized portion and asked for more! Ian wasn't quite as enchanted. 1 of 2 isn't bad so I think this recipe will make it to our "Family Favorites" cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 lb. penne pasta

3 T. olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 onions, chopped

8 oz kale, cut into ribbons (about 6 cups lightly packed, remove and discard tough stems)

salt and pepper

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas

Directions:

1. Heat the olive in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion and kale and saute until the kale is compeltely wilted.

2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water and then drain.

3. Add the cottage and parmesan cheeses to the pasta in the pot. Pour in half of the reserved cooking water and toss to form a creamy sauce. Add more water if the mixture seems dry. Add the chickpeas and kale mixture and toss to combine.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Enjoy!

Note: Save any leftovers. This recipe reheats well.

Anticancer Note:

Cruciform vegetables promote the suicide of vegetables. These vegetables should be consumed 3 times a week.