With the greater interest in eating healthy, kale has not only graduated from just being a garnish, it has also steadily increased in popularity as a cooking ingredient. Rich in a wide array of vitamins this hearty green is perfect as an ingredient in salads, soups, or casseroles or can hold its own as the center of a number of dishes.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1 pound linguine or spaghetti
- 2 cup + 2 tbsps. vegetable broth
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 3 tbsps. lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch
- 2 tbsps. olive oil
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 shallot
- 3 cloves of garlic
- Bunch of kale
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
Instructions:
Soak cashews in water for at least an hour. Cook pasta in a large pot until al dente.
While pasta is cooking, heat a tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium low. Mince garlic and chop shallot. Add garlic, shallot, and a pinch of salt. Cook until shallot is soft stirring frequently. Add the kale and 2 tablespoons of vegetable broth. Continue cooking until kale is tender, approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add cashews to a blender with 1 cup of vegetable broth and blend until smooth, approximately 1 minute. Add 1 cup more broth, turmeric, cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, and a tablespoon of olive oil. Turn on blender again for another minute and add salt to taste.
Drain pasta and add pasta and sauce to the pan with the kale. Increase heat to medium high, stir frequently and let the sauce thicken, this takes about 3 minutes. Garnish with toasted pine nuts when dished on a plate.
