3 Parmesan Kale and Broccoli Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

This recipe came about because I had a bunch of kale, four leeks, and two heads of broccoli that were all starting to look a little wilty. I needed a dinner that would use all these up without tasting like a bunch of broccoli and kale (let's just say there's a reason those were the leftovers from last week's CSA share :p ). Thankfully, kale and broccoli are two vegetables that taste completely different when they're lightly cooked - with a little steam, bitter becomes slightly sweet; bland becomes savory. It's amazing what a little heat and some water can do! 

A big helping of this is sufficient as a full meal for me, but it would also make a great side dish to some baked chicken and a light romaine salad. Or you could just add the chicken right into the pot! I also imagine that this would taste good with sausage or pepperoni. That would be super easy to do - just cook your meat like normal and then stir it in with the pasta at the end. 

I ended up adding in more sun-dried tomatoes after I'd taken these photos because I really liked the taste they brought to the dish. The recipe below accounts for that addition, but feel free to up the tomatoes even more if you'd like.

Adapted from Budget Bytes and allrecipes.com

Makes 6 side servings (or 4 main servings)

5 minutes prep; 25 minutes cooking time. 30 minutes total. 

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 4 leeks (or 1/2 medium onion), diced
• 1 big bunch kale (stems removed, leaves torn into medium sized pieces) 
• 2 heads broccoli, cut to short florets
• 1 bag of frozen peas and carrots
• 1/2 c water
• 8 oz bow tie pasta
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (one medium lemon)
• 1/3 c sun dried tomatoes, cut into strips
• 3 oz shredded parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until soft. Add kale, broccoli, peas&carrots, and 1/2 c water to pot. Stir once, then cover, reduce heat to medium/low, and let cook for 15 minutes. 

2. While vegetables are cooking, prepare your pasta according to instructions (usually 10-15 minutes after water has started boiling - check package for instructions). (Note: this recipe only calls for 8 oz, while most pastas come in 16 oz packages. Don't use the whole package unless you intend to double the rest of the ingredients, too.)

3. When kale and broccoli are tender but still vibrant in color, add drained pasta, sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and salt/pepper to taste. Mix well and serve warm.