In the fall kale and chard often last longer in the garden than other crops so here is a very tasty and quick way to make dinner with these two vegetables. Those who are vegetarians can prepare the same dish and just leave out the bacon.
Here are the basic ingredients: kale, chard, roasted garlic (you could use raw), Parmesan cheese, olive oil, and chicken or veggie stock. Bacon too, if desired, and salt and pepper to taste.
I cook my bacon in the microwave so that it doesn’t smell up the entire house with bacon fumes. I put three or four layers of paper towel down on a plate leaving a piece of paper towel large enough to fold over the bacon after it’s on the place. I line up the bacon closely on that plate and cover with one layer of paper towel to prevent splatter in the microwave. Cook on high for four minutes and then check it – some microwaves will need another one or two minutes to cook the bacon crispy. If the pieces are more done on the edges, either shuffle them around or take out the finished strips and cook the others a bit longer.
Chop the kale and chard into ribbons. You can see here how nicely the bacon is cooked.
Put some olive oil in a saute pan and add the garlic, kale and chard. Stir for a couple of minutes and then add about half a cup of stock. Cover the pan and let it simmer for about 15 minutes while you boil the pasta water.
Cook the pasta of your choice in salted water. If you need to add more stock to the pan of chard and kale do so – it should be really moist but not soupy or swimming in broth. Once the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the pan.
Toss the pasta in with the chard/kale/garlic mixture. Add the bacon and the cheese and toss again. Serve and enjoy!
Another option is to add a beaten egg or two immediately after putting the hot pasta in the pan with the hot kale and chard. Toss it all to mix and then add the bacon and cheese. This is a veggie variation on pasta carbonara, one of our favorite comfort foods.
