This recipe is courtesy of our stallholders Summit Organics, who borrowed it from one of their favourite cookbooks, Veg Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall of River Cottage fame.

It’s a really simple & scrumptious way to use kale, which as you may have heard, is considered  a bit of a super-food. Its dietary credentials are considerable:

Health Benefits of Kale

  1. very high in anti-oxidants (cancer fighters)
  2. high in Vitamin K (bone strengthener)
  3. heaps of fibre (healthy bowel, lowers blood sugar)
  4. loads of Vitamin A (increases immunity)
  5. stacks of Vitamin C (helps eyesight, immunity, blood pressure)
  6. it also helps detox the body & reduce cholesterol

With all those credentials, you’d be mad not to include this leafy green in your diet regularly.

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches kale
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 1/2 to 1 red chilli, deseeded & finely chopped, or 2 good pinches of chilli flakes
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely slivered
  • 300g pasta (penne or shapes)
  • sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • parmesan cheese (optional)

Method

  1. Pop a large pot of well-salted water onto boil. Remove the thick stems from the kale leaves and shred the leaves.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a low heat. Add the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes, or until soft. Add the chilli and garlic and some salt and pepper, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes.
  3. When the onion is almost cooked, add the pasta to the pan of boiling water and cook until al dente, adding the greens to the pot of water when the pasta has about 3 minutes left.
  4. Drain the pasta and greens and toss into the frying pan with onions, chilli and garlic.
  5. Add more seasoning to taste, then serve with a good drizzle of olive oil and lots of parmesan cheese.

Serves 4

Voila!