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Orecchiette with tomato sauce and kale

 I found this very simple recipe from Martha Rose Shulman on the NYT app but there are versions of it everywhere. It is one of those, quick to bung together, hearty but good for you, recipes that you can put together at the drop of a hat. You certainly could use any tomato sauce that you had sitting in the fridge or freezer and if you don’t have orecchiette then any of the short pasta that hold sauce well like fusilli or penne would work.

I added a Spanish onion to the sauce and used a mix of cavolo Nero and English kale.


The recipe

This is true to the Apulian tradition of serving chopped greens with orecchiette, those little ear-shaped pasta, though the greens might be different in Apulia and the combination doesn’t always include a tomato sauce. Since I’ve always got tomato sauce in my freezer, it’s an easy dish to throw together. This winter version is made with canned tomatoes.


INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 Spanish onion finely chopped

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes with juice

Pinch of sugar

Salt to taste

A few sprigs of fresh basil, if available

1/2 pound curly green kale or black kale, stemmed and washed thoroughly ( I used a mix of cavolo Nero and kale)

12 ounces orecchiette

1 ounce (1/4 cup) freshly grated Parmesan, pecorino Romano or a combination (more to taste)


PREPARATION

Heat the oil over medium heat in a wide skillet or saucepan and add the Spanish onion and cook gently until soft - around 10 mins. Now add the garlic and red pepper flakes. As soon as the garlic begins to smell fragrant (30 seconds to 1 minute), add the tomatoes, sugar, salt and basil sprigs and bring to a simmer. 

Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is thick and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, taste and adjust seasoning. 


Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add the kale. Blanch for 2 to 4 minutes, until tender but still bright green. Using a skimmer, transfer to a bowl of cold water. Do not drain the pot of water. 


Drain the kale and squeeze out excess water. Chop medium-fine and stir into the tomato sauce. 


Bring the pot of water back to a boil and add the pasta. Cook al dente, 10 to 11 minutes, or according to the cooking directions on the package. 


Drain and toss with the tomato and kale mixture right in the pan. Add the Parmesan, toss again and serve. 


Yield: 4 servings.

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